Sheriff warns of attempted phone scams by people pretending to be IRS agents and trying to intimidate residents to pay phony tax debts

Sheriff James Pohlmann is warning residents to be aware of an attempted phone scam by individuals pretending to be Internal Revenue Service agents and try to intimidate people to pay phony tax debts.

The callers tell people the IRS has found mistakes made on their tax filing from a year or more ago and insist they will be arrested if they don’t pay their debt over the phone or send the money in another form of payment, the sheriff said.

They even insist an arrest warrant has been issued for the people called and say officers will be at their home shortly if they don’t pay.

“Don’t fall for this scam attempt,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. The Internal Revenue Service doesn’t call people and pressure them to pay over the phone or be arrested, he said.