By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Alabaster Police Department is warning locals to be wary of potential scams during the tax season, especially calls from individuals claiming to be Internal Revenue Service employees.

As many are working to file their taxes from the previous year, the frequency of attempted scams typically sees a spike, particularly preying on elderly residents, according to the APD.

“Every tax season, we receive reports of scammers attempting to impersonate IRS employees,” read a post on the APD Facebook page. “Our elderly community members are typically the most vulnerable to these types of scams. Please take the time to warn your older family members, neighbors and friends.”

Alabaster police encouraged locals to remember the IRS will never:

-Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.

– Demand you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.

– Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, requiring you to pay with a prepaid debit card.

– Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

– Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

Police said the best thing to do when receiving a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS is to hang up.