Message from State Senator Liz Krueger

  Dear Friend,   Below are two important pieces of information affecting our neighborhood. My office has heard from a number of constituents who have received scam phone calls from people claiming to represent the IRS. For more information, see below. The important thing to remember is that the IRS will never call you out of the blue – first contact will always be through the mail.    Also, as I’m sure you know, the Pope is coming to New York City on Thursday and Friday, the 24th and 25th. In preparation, NYPD will be closing numerous streets, listed below.   Best,   Liz Krueger State Senator     IRS PHONE SCAMMERS A number of constituents have reported receiving calls from scammers claiming to be from the IRS. The scammer claims that you owe taxes and they are initiating legal action, or a similar threat. It is important to know that the IRS will never initiate contact over the phone, but will send official correspondence through the mail.   Additionally, the real IRS: Never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone. Never insists that taxpayers use a specific payment method to pay tax obligations Never requests immediate payment over the telephone and will not take enforcement action immediately following a phone conversation. Taxpayers usually receive prior notification of IRS enforcement action involving IRS tax liens or levies.      Other characteristics of these scams include: Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves. Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number. Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling. Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls. Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site. After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.     If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do: If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue, if there really is such an issue. If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484. You can also file a complaint using the TIGTA webform here: https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml.       STREET CLOSURES AND EXPECTED TRAFFIC DELAYS RELATING TO THE VISIT OF POPE FRANCIS    THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th, 2015   Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick's Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 9 p.m.: ·         50th Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue ·         51st Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue     Beginning at approximately 3 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick's Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until 6 a.m.: ·         5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street. ·         48th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         49th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         50th Street from 5th Ave. to 6th Avenue (will remained closed until approx. 9 p.m.) ·         51st Street from 5th Ave. to 6th Avenue (will remained closed until approx. 9 p.m.) ·         52nd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         53rd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         54th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         55th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue     Beginning at approximately 6 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick's Cathedral will be re-opened to vehicular traffic until 10 a.m.: ·         5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street. ·         48th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         49th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         52nd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         53rd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         54th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         55th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue Please note: Crosstown traffic will be reduced to one lane of traffic     Beginning at approximately 10 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick's Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 9 p.m.: ·         5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street. ·         48th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         49th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         50th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         51st Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         52nd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         53rd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         54th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue ·         55th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue     Beginning at approximately 2 p.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick's Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 9 p.m.: ·         Madison Avenue from 47th Street to 57th Street     On Thursday the FDR DRIVE will be subject to intermittent closures: ·         Southbound at 63rd Street ·         Northbound at South Ferry     Beginning at approximately 8 a.m. the following street in the vicinity of the Papal Nuncio's Residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until Saturday, September 26th at approximately 10 a.m.: ·         72nd Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue     Beginning at approximately 3 p.m. the following street in the vicinity of the Papal Nuncio's Residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until Saturday, September 26th at approximately 10 a.m.: ·         71st Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue     Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: ·         Madison Ave. from 69th Street to 74th Street while Pope Francis is in residence     Additional intermittent closures/managed access to vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the Papal Nuncio's Residence include: ·         5th Avenue to from 74th Street to 71st Street ·         70th Street from Park Avenue to 5th Avenue ·         71st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue ·         72nd Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue ·         73rd Street from Madison Avenue to 5th Avenue ·         Madison Ave. from 69th Street to 73rd Street -two western lanes closed     Beginning at approximately 10 p.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the Papal Nuncio's Residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 6 a.m.: ·         71st Street from Park Ave. to 5th Avenue ·         72nd Street from Park Ave. to 5th Avenue ·         73rd Street from Park Ave. to 5th Avenue ·         Madison Ave. from 70th Street to 73rd Street     Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: ·         5th Ave. from 74th Street to 71st Street ·         Madison Ave. from 69th Street to 74th Street      FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th, 2015   The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to vehicular traffic: ·         1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of the day's session. ·         43rd Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue ·         44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue ·         45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue ·         46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue     The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5:00 a.m.: ·         42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue ·         42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day's session.     Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of the 9-11 Memorial will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 1 p.m.: ·         Liberty Street from Trinity Place to Greenwich Street ·         Cedar Street from Trinity Place to Greenwich Street     Beginning at approximately 11 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the 9-11 Memorial will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 1 p.m.: ·         North bound on West Street from Battery Place to Murray Street     Additional intermittent closures/managed access to vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the 9-11 Memorial includes: ·         South bound on West Street from Chambers Street to Albany Street     Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: ·         South bound on West Street from Chambers Street to Albany Street     Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of the Our Lady Queen of Angels School will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 6 p.m.: ·         112th Street from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue ·         113th Street Cul-de-sac     Please note: Starting at approximately 3 p.m. trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: ·         2nd Avenue between 106th Street to 116th Street ·         3rd Avenue between 106th Street to 116th Street     Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of Central Park will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 7 p.m.: ·         Central Park West between Columbus Circle and West 81st Street ·         W 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway              ·         W 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway ·         W 63rd Street between Central Park West and Broadway ·         W 64th Street between Central Park West and Broadway ·         W 65th Street between Central Park West and Broadway ·         W 66th Street between Central Park West and Broadway ·         W 67th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 69th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 70th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 73rd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 76th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue ·         W 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue     Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of Madison Square Garden will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately midnight: ·         31st Street from 7th Avenue to 9th Avenue ·         33rd Street from 7th Avenue to 9th Avenue     Beginning at approximately noon the following streets in the vicinity of Madison Square Garden will have intermittent closures/managed access to vehicular traffic ·         31st Street from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue - managed access ·         32nd Street from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue- managed access ·         33rd Street from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue- managed access ·         7th Avenue from 30th   Street to 34th Street - two western lanes closed ·         8th Avenue from 31st   Street to 33rd Street - one lane only/intermittent closures     Please note: Starting at approximately noon trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: ·         7th Avenue from 30th   Street to 34th Street ·         8th Avenue from 30th   Street to 34th Street     SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th, 2015   The FDR DRIVE will be subject to intermittent closures: ·         Southbound at 63rd Street ·         Northbound at South Ferry Please note: For all days additional closings may occur at the discretion of the police department.