A phone scam that’s been making the rounds across the country, has been reported in Shelby County. Officials with the Harlan Police Dept. and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said today (Thursday), that they have received numerous calls about persons who claim to be from the IRS, calling residents to tell them they owe money to the agency, and that the person contacted can be arrested if the call is not returned (if left on an answering service), and/or money is not sent. Authorities remind residents, that this IS A SCAM!

The IRS will never contact you by phone, regarding your tax status. Ignore the calls. DO NOT call them back, and never give out any personal information. If a voicemail was left with you, simply delete it. Authorities said also, the “Grandchild in trouble” phone scam has resurfaced. In this case, a person claiming to be a grandson or granddaughter, calls and says they are in jail, and needs money to be bailed out. Again, you should ignore the call, or hang-up. A Griswold woman noted on the KJAN Facebook page, that she too, had received a “Grandchild in trouble” scam call.