Two Midcoast residents reported that they were targeted last month in an apparent Internal Revenue Service impersonation scam.

An IRS official in Augusta confirmed he received several complaints from both the Midcoast region and across the state. The agent declined to be identified and referred all questions to the agency’s website: www.tigta.gov.

A concerned citizen, who also requested not to be named, wanted the public alerted to an  apparent scam and contacted the Boothbay Register on Thursday. The citizen gave details of the two alleged scam calls that occurred on Nov. 24. The citizen reported a third IRS impersonation scam occurred last summer.

The concerned resident reported each scam followed the same format. The victim would receive a phone call from a person claiming to be an IRS agent. The victim’s caller identification would show the letters “I-R-S” with a return California phone number.

The fraudulent agent would claim the victim had made an error in their tax return. The fraudulent agent demanded immediate payment. If the victim refused, the fraudulent agent threatened to send the police and have the victim imprisoned, or have their  driver’s license revoked.

The IRS’s www.tigta.gov website confirmed the concerned citizen’s account. The website describes how the alleged perpetrators enact their scheme.

“The caller tells the target they owe taxes and demand payment immediately. The caller insists on a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer as payment. The target is threatened with arrest, deportation, or suspension of business or driver’s licenses,” according to the website.

One of the three victims reportedly paid $8,000 to scam artists, according to the citizen. A second target wanted to send payment, but he was talked out of it by his girlfriend, according to the citizen.

The first reported target contacted the Brunswick Police Department who called the alleged perpetrators’ telephone number in California. When the law enforcement agent identified himself as a Brunswick police officer, the fake IRS employee hung up, according to the concerned citizen.

The IRS renewed its warning in October 2013 against pervasive phone scams on its website. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) called it “the largest scam of its kind.”

The website warns potential victims to look out for fraudulent agents using common names and fake IRS badge numbers, providing the last digit of the victims Social Security number, making the caller ID appear as if the real IRS is calling, sending bogus emails supporting the original call, and making another call from a fraudulent police or department of motor vehicles supporting the original call’s claim.

As of March 20, TIGTA received over 20,000 contacts related to this scam, according to the TIGTA.gov. The agency reported victims have paid over $1 million to fraudsters.

The website advises anyone who receives a call to hangup and call the IRS at 800-829-1040 if they owe or think they owe taxes.