Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ivy Woods wants residents to be aware of an aggressive “IRS” phone scam targeting people in the parish.

The scam has been popping up since the beginning of the year and has become prevalent on the western side of the parish, Woods said Friday.

People are being contacted by someone claiming to be an IRS agent, he said. The scammers say the residents are entitled to big refunds or owe tax money that must be paid immediately.

If they’re unsuccessful, they sometimes call back trying a new strategy, he said.

In the last several weeks, several residents have reported being contacted by the scammers, Woods said. Residents have been threatened with arrest or having their driver’s licenses revoked, he said.

Callers have frequently insulted residents or been hostile in an attempt to scare them, Woods said.

The scammers often use fake names and IRS badge numbers and may be able to recite the last four digits of a resident’s Social Security number, he said.

They spoof the IRS 800 number on caller ID, and they sometimes send bogus IRS emails to victims to support their calls, Woods said.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do: If you owe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. If you don’t owe taxes, report the incident to the treasury inspector general for tax administration at 800-366-4484.

The IRS will always mail taxpayers a written notification of any taxes due, and the agency never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone, Woods said.

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via email, text message or social media, he said.

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Online: www.irs.gov.(MGNonline)