Local Residents Warn Of Fake IRS Phone Scam

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) -- A Royal Oak woman is warning others about an IRS scam that she almost became the victim of.

Yvonne Lesiak said that she received a voicemail on her home phone from someone claiming to be with the IRS, telling her she owed money and that they would file suit against her.

"First of all I was like, 'what, I haven't done anything. Why would you be calling me on a phone?'" Lesiak said. "It was kind of scary and after I thought about it for a while, they didn't ask for my name and it was a robot call."

Lesiak called her tax preparer, who told her he had about half a dozen calls from clients who got the same message, and added that the IRS would never call or email anyone.

Instead they would -- by mandate of Congress -- send a letter, and if they don't get a response, they send a second letter through certified mail.