IRON MOUNTAIN — Local law enforcement agencies are warning residents about a recent influx of scam phone calls to the area.

Iron Mountain Police officers received 15 complaints about Internal Revenue Service scam calls Thursday morning, Iron Mountain Director of Police and Fire Services Ed Mattson said.

Mattson reminded residents never to give out any personal or banking information over the phone. The IRS will not have local law enforcement arrest anyone for back taxes, he added.

Michigan State Police-Iron Mountain Post officials this morning also reported a large number of resident complaints about IRS scam calls, particularly ones coming from a 908 area code number.

The caller warns the recipient they will be arrested if they don’t call back or comply with requests, but MSP officials say this isn’t true.

Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department officials posted on their Facebook page this morning that scam callers are claiming they are affiliated with the sheriff’s department and will send police if their call is not returned or the recipient doesn’t do what the caller requests.

In some cases, these scam callers have the ability to generate 906 area code numbers, officials said.

The sheriff’s department doesn’t conduct business in this manner, officials said, and if any resident has a question if the call they received actually is from the sheriff’s department, they can come into the office or call 906-774-6262 to verify the information.

This recent rash of scam calls to the area comes about one month after the last one, in mid-July.

The calls usually demand payment in cash through a wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift card, according to the Michigan Department of the Treasury.

Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like Treasury, the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers may use employee titles, a person’s name, address and other personal information to sound official.

But the first tip-off should be the phone call. “The Michigan Department of Treasury doesn’t initially contact taxpayers through the phone,” officials advised. “Our first interaction is generally done by mail.”

The state Treasury also will never:

— Initiate a phone call to ask for personal information.

— Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, Treasury first will mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.

— Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.

— Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.

— Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Taxpayers who don’t owe taxes or don’t think they owe taxes should hang up immediately if they receive one of these calls, state Treasury officials said. Individuals who owe taxes or think they do can call 517-636-4486 to find out their account balance information.

Taxpayers who have received a call from a scammer should report the case to the IRS through the web or by calling 800-366-4484.