BOISE, Idaho — During the holiday season, scammers tend to ramp up their efforts with no regard for who they target.
In fact, Boise Interim Police Chief Mike Masterson got a voice mail Monday where the caller was impersonating the IRS. If this sounds familiar that's because the Boise Police Department and the Better Business Bureau say it's a very common scam.
Both organizations say hang up and if the caller leaves a message, don't call back.
"You always want to be aware of people who are calling to instill fear or danger," Rebecca Barr said with the BBB. "So, you are going to be arrested or someone you know is in danger."
"No one is going to call you and alert you that there is this fraudulent activity on your social security number or anything of that nature," Ed Fritz with the Boise Police Department said.
Another call to watch out for, especially during the holiday season, is someone impersonating a charity.
"Hang up, call the local organization, go on their website and see what the best way to donate to them is," Barr said. “If it's a local charity go right into their office that way you know the dollars are getting to where you intend them to go."
Many people are also shopping online this time of the year and Barr says scammers have taken notice.
Be wary if you get a call from someone claiming to be a delivery worker saying there is a problem with your shipment.
"Go directly to your order, go to Amazon or wherever you placed the order, and do your own tracking on it," Barr said.
One of the biggest red flags, someone demanding payment over the phone in the form of a wire transfer, Bitcoin, or the most common request, gift cards.
The Boise Police Department is training local retailers to look out for customers purchasing gift cards worth a lot of money so they can intervene if they suspect the customer is being scammed.
"If they didn't recognize it initially there is another person looking out for them in the retail community," Fritz said.