(MSC News)--State Treasurer Ron Estes warns Kansans of suspicious phone calls using the number for the Unclaimed Property Division on caller ID to make it appear that the state or Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is calling to request taxes. 

The automated phone calls claim to be part of the IRS and state that individuals still owe taxes. The recording then directs callers to select a preferred payment plan.

“These automated phone calls should be ignored as they are not being sent from our Unclaimed Property Division,” said Ron Estes, Kansas State Treasurer. “I urge all Kansans to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS or Kansas state agencies as a lure and avoid responding.”

Estes reminds Kansans that the State Treasurer’s Office will never request individuals to provide personal information to an automated phone call or charge a fee to return unclaimed property—both common indicators of scams related to unclaimed property in the past.

“If you ever question the validity of any correspondence or phone calls related to the State Treasurer’s Office, please don’t hesitate to contact our office for verification,” said Estes. “We take great pride in the integrity of our program and work hard to ensure safeguards are in place to protect personal information and unclaimed property belonging to Kansans.”

Kansans who receive suspicious phone calls claiming to be from the IRS can call and report them to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.  Kansans who believe they may have unclaimed property available to claim at the State Treasurer’s Office should search the state’s official website, http://www.kansascash.com, or call the Unclaimed Property Division at 1-800-432-0386 (toll free).