KERRVILLE, Texas – The Kerrville Police Department is issuing a warning about recent numerous reports of various phone scams and fraud attempts targeting residents in the city.
One of the more prevalent scams involved a phone call from a man or woman claiming to be a representative of the Internal Revenue Service. Police said the caller threatens the potential victim, saying the IRS has filed a lawsuit for unpaid taxes and immediate action is required.
A phone number is left for the victim to call, presumably to get access to funds, police said.
"It is important to exercise caution when receiving a phone call from anyone claiming to be employed with a government agency asking about money," Kerrville police said in a statement. "If you are a recipient of a call similar to the one described, the Kerrville Police Department encourages you to ask the individual for his or her identification, either a name or employee number, to verify the legitimacy of the call."
The department said further questions such as, "Which branch do you work for?" and "May I speak to your supervisor?" should deter the scammer from further attempting the fraud.
Another popular phone scam involves a call from an alleged grandchild or distant relative, claiming they are in legal trouble, often in a foreign country, and they need financial assistance to bail themselves out of jail. Police said the potential victim will be given an account number and instructed where to send money.
Anyone who lives in the city limits of Kerrville and has suffered a financial loss as a victim of one of the scams is asked to call the Kerrville Police Department.