Clark County sees surge in IRS scam calls

Emergency dispatchers reported a surge in IRS scam calls in Clark County on Monday morning, prompting them to warn area residents to be cautious when picking up the phone.

The Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency’s 911 call center received at least 25 reports of scam calls involving IRS impersonators, each threatening an arrest if the individuals fail to pay immediately.

“It’s pretty substantial,” said John Wheeler, emergency management coordinator for CRESA. “For whatever reasons, they’re dialing in the Clark County area.”

He said the calls began coming in about 7 a.m. and peaked at around 8:30 a.m.

Wheeler said that a majority of the calls targeted elderly residents, are from numbers showing area codes from around the U.S. and include a person saying that this is the final notice for overdue taxes.

Officials are advising those who receive this call to hang up without providing the caller with any information.

Additional information on this and other IRS scams can be found at www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts.