24 Feb Nasty phone scam targeting business owners
There is an increasing trend of phone scams targeting the owners of companies. Presently, there is a particularly nasty one doing the rounds. It is a scam where someone calls you, says that they are from the IRD and that you are being investigated for fraud. They then demand immediate payment of thousands of dollars. Failure to comply they say, will result in arrest or bankruptcy (or something equally nasty). People who have been on the receiving end of these calls say that the callers are particularly aggressive and demanding.
If anyone calls you claiming to be from the IRD, here are some warning signs that it may be a scammer, they:
- demand immediate payment
- ask for payment via western union or another money transfer service
- threaten to send the police to arrest you
- threaten to confiscate your house/business/other assets
- or pretty well any other aggressive behaviour that demands you take immediate action
If you are in doubt, contact us and we can contact IRD for you and check the validity of any calls you receive.
