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The Craig Police Department is warning local residents about an Internal Revenue Service scam currently working its way around the country.

One local resident already has been contacted by those perpetrating the scam.

According to reports, citizens have received calls from individuals identifying themselves as employees of the “Government Tax Refund Service,” or similar sounding titles, representing the IRS.

Callers tell their potential victims that because they have been qualified as a “faithful taxpayer” they are entitled to receive a tax refund of thousands of dollars, subject to a 10 percent service fee.

Victims of the scam have been told to wire or pre-pay the fee into a “Green Dot” card prior to the transfer of monies.

In a recent Craig case, the scammer went as far as to introduce a second party who posed as a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent to further legitimize the scam.

A local resident began receiving checks and subsequently wired the service fee to an account in Jamaica.

Among the numerous red flags noted by the Craig Police Department include:

• The IRS does not call residents by phone or issue refunds because someone has been a faithful taxpayer.

• The FBI would never verify the actions of the IRS.

• Requests to send money, especially to a foreign country, is always a definite sign of fraud.

Residents are asked to notify local law enforcement officials if they believe they have been contacted by a scammer.

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