Residents report scammers’ efforts to trick them into phony tax payments

With Clark County residents paying taxes over the next few weeks, some are trying to illegally entice them to pay more.

A number of people have reported to The Columbian recently that they have received scam calls, a common trend around tax season. One typical call features a person posing as an Internal Revenue Service official asking for money or information as a result of unpaid taxes.

Bernice Garber, 75, of Vancouver recalled a phone call that her fiance, Ken Barker, received Feb. 25. A man on the other line claimed that Barker has three years of unpaid taxes and that a warrant would be issued for his arrest within 24 hours if he didn’t answer questions. At one point, the caller asked for Barker’s Social Security number.

Garber then grabbed the phone from him.

“I said, ‘I know you’re not with the IRS,’ ” Garber recalled.

“I don’t care what you think,” the man said before Garber disconnected.

Garber, 75, said age may have played a factor in the call to Barker, 80.

“We have the most to lose. We’re on a fixed income. It’s not like we can go out and make up that money,” she said. “I was so mad.”

Scammers may conduct research about a subject before calling them. The man who called Barker, for instance, knew his age.

“This is what they do this time of year,” Garber said. “They’re very good. I hope people are aware this is happening.”