Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt warns consumers to be aware of a new scam making rounds where callers pose as representatives of the “state” attorney general or U.S. Department of Treasury.
Similar to the Internal Revenue Service fraudulent calls, scammers threaten arrest or suit in
an attempt to collect personal information and money from their victims.
“This new phone scam seeks to collect personal, identifying information as well as money from its victims,” Laxalt said. “My office will never contact Nevadans asking for money and I encourage consumers to take the necessary steps to verify a caller’s authenticity before answering any sensitive questions.”
Laxalt warns that these calls are sophisticated, and scammers often have detailed information about their victims, like their first and last names, phone numbers and the last four digits of their social security number.
Callers begin the conversation by notifying the receiver that he or she was instructed by the attorney general to discuss an important legal matter.
Callers may also pose as officers working for the U.S. Department of Treasury.
He warns that the Nevada Attorney General’s Office will never ask for or require consumers to make payments by phone.
If you are contacted by a member of the attorney general’s office by phone, you may confirm the call’s authenticity by hanging up and calling the office directly at 775-688-1822 or 702-486-3420.
If you believe you have fallen victim to this scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftc.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.