Consumer Alert
It’s the IRS calling…or is it?
Here at the FTC, we think about scams all day long. What are the scammers’ new angles? How can we keep ahead of them? We hear from people about the scams they see, and we turn that into tips people use to spot and avoid scams.
But scammers find FTC staff, just as they find the rest of America. My colleagues and I have even gotten calls on our work phones, offering reduced credit card interest rates, or claiming to be tech support calling about problems with our computers. We also get the calls at home. In fact, someone claiming to work for the IRS called my house just last week:
This has all the signs of an IRS imposter scam. In fact, the IRS won’t call out of the blue to ask for payment, won’t demand a specific form of payment, and won’t leave a message threatening to sue you if you don’t pay right away. Have you gotten a bogus IRS call like this? If you did, report the call to the FTC and to TIGTA – include the phone number it came from, along with any details you have.
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In reply to I received a phone call from by Kelmo
Mine came from "Private Number" on my caller ID Phone number the bot gave was 206-823-3840 I called them and told them that the IRS will never call anyone like the call I got. The woman was either from India or Pakistan, stating "Yes they can" Whoops. "They?" Shouldn't it have been "we" if representing them?
I then told her, "If you're for real, tell me my social security number" (She didn't even ask for my name, mind you and I called from my cell, the call coming to my landline) She replied "By law we cannot do that, you need to tell us what your social security number is" I called her a lair but she couldn't hear me because of, what i assume to be dozens of other call reps talking in the background. What really gets me mad about this is, many people they call are senior citizens. I am considered a senior but in my late 50's. My point being, they might scare an old woman or man and then eventually take all their money. There is a special place in hell for people like this
In reply to Mine came from "Private by Nick on OKLA
June 22, 2016,I received a phone call from 202-864-0133, but did not get to it in time before they hung up, so, I called the number back to be advised that it was the IRS calling me to say that I was under a criminal point for supposedly owing back taxes between 2009, and 2014. They even gave me names, and badge numbers to make it all sound legit.
They advised me to pay them upwards of $3,000.00 by the end of today, or face losing everything I own, and being arrested, and they also advised me that if I hung up on them before they were finished talking to me, that I would automatically be arrested, and processed as a criminal for Federal Tax Evasion. They also said that they would send the Police to my house and have me arrested just for hanging up on them.
They tried to tell me, that I must pay a minimum of 25% of my salary every year, and that I had only paid a certain percentage during the years in question, and it seemed that they just came up with a percentage figure off the top of their head. Both "Agents" that I spoke with, had a strong Indian Accent when they spoke, and when I questioned both of them about why I did not receive anything in writing prior to receiving their phone call, they stated that it was because I had already been placed in the Criminal Category for Federal Ta Evasion, and that once someone is placed in the Criminal Category for Federal Tax Evasion, that sending the letter in writing is not required, and that they can just have me arrested for not paying their "required amount", or if I hung up the phone on them.
I let them talk their talk, and explained my financial situation to them, and finally, they decided that they had enough "information" from me, and that they were going to let me go, and that I can hang up, but, I chose to let them hang up instead.
These are the numbers I got a call from talking about owing money to IRS. Please put a block on these numbers (213) 289-3778 (559) 650-0052 (646) 369-1396 (757) 504-1430 (509) 728-9506 (213) 805-0180 The guy who called had a Indian accent. The latest numbers were the 509 and 213 are codes.
Received call from Ulysses Lincoln IRN #3975 Case #FR 429-341 Tel: 1-615-309-7813 1-202-241-3457 stated owed $4896 due to IRS fraud. Stated that I'm disabled veteran at which point they stated to "hang up the phone" very starnge doctor. Why would you order disabled veteran to take telephone travel to "Rite-Aid"?? for I-tunes card. Went to Rite-Aid and bought seven kids ice-cream. The name used was different but I used above fake name to prove a point. Why won't they use the fake name George Custer or William H. Bonney?