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Contact: Kaylin Eidsness, Senior Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-833-9537 Fax 952-826-0389 EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EPD Warns Residents to Beware of Phone Scams
Edina, Minn., Sept. 1, 2016 — The Edina Police Department reminds residents to be cautious regarding
phone calls or solicitations requesting money.
Residents have recently reported receiving urgent calls and voicemails from the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) and being asked to send money. Phone scams often use technology to display fake caller ID to display
the IRS and other organizations. These fake calls generally claim to be the last warning before legal action is
taken. Once the victim calls back, the scammers may threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license
of the victim if they don’t agree to pay.
“This is such a common scam. Some other common scams include someone saying they are calling from
Hennepin County Jail with a spoofed phone number and mentioning the person has warrants that need to be
paid or a ‘grandchild’ calls saying they need money to get bailed out of jail,” said Sgt. Kevin Rofidal. “If
someone receives a suspicious call, it’s safest to hang up. Remember, the government only communicates via
U.S. mail and will never ask for any type of gift cards or money over the phone.”
Older residents are often most susceptible to these types of scams. Help protect family members and
community members by speaking with them about safe phone practices.
“It used to be that most of these bogus calls would come from a live person," IRS Commissioner John
Koskinen said in a statement. “Scammers are evolving and using more and more automated calls in an effort
to reach the largest number of victims possible.”
According to the IRS, there are several tactics that are telltale signs of a scam, so if you receive a call with
these requests, hang up and ignore any messages. The IRS will never:
Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed
without first having mailed you a bill.
Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested
for not paying.
Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount
they say you owe.
Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card
or wire transfer.
Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
For more information or if you have been the victim of a phone scam, call the Edina Police Department at
952-826-1610.
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