No holiday for IRS, Pacific Power scam callers

Bend police issued a holiday warning Wednesday that aggressive scammers posing as the IRS and threatening jail or fines continue to make calls to area residents.

Meanwhile, a Central Oregon resident reported the continuation of a familiar scam call, supposedly from Pacific Power, demanding hundreds of dollars or the lights will be turned off.

Last June, Bend police heard from several citizens who reported receiving phone calls and being pressured to give up personal and financial information, said Lt. Clint Burleigh.

“This fraudulent activity is continuing into this holiday season, with the scammers using similar tactics,” Burleigh wrote in a news release. “The people in these scams are purporting as employees of the Internal Revenue Service and threatening unsuspecting citizens with jail time or additional financial penalties.

Protect yourselves and your family members by going to:

https://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Urges-Public-to-Stay-Alert-for-Scam-Phone-Calls

This article explains how the IRS would properly contact you if there ever was a tax issue. If you receive a call of this nature, the IRS asks you call 1-800-366-4484 to
report the incident.

“The Bend Police Department will continue to put information out to protect the
community of Bend from unnecessary financial harm,” Burleigh said.

As for the Pacific Power scam, the resident said the caller claims to represent the utility and says an immediate payment — in this case $700 to $800 — is required to prevent power being turned off in the next 45-60 minutes.

He described it as a “fairly elaborate con, with an 800 number, phone menu (press 1 for English) and hold music.” He said he got the call at his business, and a friend reported getting the same call.

For more on the utility scams — and how to report such calls – here’s a story we had earlier this year: http://www.ktvz.com/news/Utility-warns-Scams-demanding-payment-surge-in-NW/34274350