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Police warn of overdue-tax phone scam

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Newport Beach police Thursday warned residents about an over-the-phone scam that asks them to pony up overdue taxes.

The scammers will contact a victim and claim to be IRS or Franchise Tax Board employees calling about an overdue bill, police said.

More than one con man participates in a call, with the second person sometimes posing as a tax investigator or lawyer in an attempt to fool the victim, according to police.

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The callers then try to talk the victim into settling the matter over the phone by wiring money or handing over banking information.

“Employees of the IRS or the FTB would never actually initiate this type of phone call or negotiate a bill over the phone,” Newport police said in a news release.

Anyone who gets such a call should immediately hang up, police said.

Anyone who has already been a victim of this or a similar scam should call Newport police at (949) 644-3717.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck

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