There has been a spike in telephone scam affecting Pike County over the past two months according to Sheriff Russell Thomas.

Thomas said that scams are an ongoing issue for his office, but that he has seen a rise in complaints over the past six to eight weeks.

“We’ve been getting calls almost daily over the past two months,” Thomas said. “People are either calling to complain or checking with us to make sure they’re not really in any trouble. One lady told me that she was called eight times in one day by two different people using two different numbers.”

According to Thomas, the scammers pose as IRS officials looking to collect late payments and tell victims that they are working with local law enforcement to enforce payment. Don’t pay up, the scammers say, and you’ll end up arrested.

Thomas wanted to make it clear to residents that this is not the IRS and that the IRS would not ask for personal information over the phone.

“Never give your personal information out over the phone,” Thomas said. “The IRS wouldn’t be asking for your personal information over the phone. Sadly, some of our senior citizens could fall victim to these scammers.”

Citizens that have questions or concerns about this situation or a similar occurrence should contact their local law enforcement agency for more information.