By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

The Pontiac Police Department has recently received numerous reports about residents getting a phone call claiming to be the IRS.

The department is advising people these calls are scams and asking them not to give any credence to the call and to just hang up.

The department is aware of the scam and expect many others to continue through the holiday season.

The IRS’s response to these scams is that they will never call to demand immediate payment or about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; demand you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.