There's a new phone scam out

[brush]

I got a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent saying that I was being sued for taxes not paid for the years 2001-2005.

I was suspicious right off as I've been audited by the IRS before, not "sued", and they don't call you they send that dreaded letter outlining what's owed and the penalty and how much time you have to pay it.

I played along with the guy and asked if it was for my indilvidual single filing.

He fell for it and said "yes, your individual filing and you owe $4059".

It was then that I told him it was a scam as I filed a joint return with my wife during those years.

Then I hung up and haven't heard from them since.

So watch out for this latest trick.

[RebelOne]

1. Not a new scam. It's been going for a few years. n/t

[brush]

8. I've had scammers try their tricks before but this is the first time for me that it was fake "IRS"

I had the old FBI scam and the Drug Enforcement scam tried — and also the constant stream of emails from Nigeria.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. There a lot of variations on this scam.

In one of them, they leave a message telling you that you are being prosecuted for tax fraud; they leave a number for you to call along with the threat that if you don't call back within 48 hours the police will come and arrest you. More about these scams, along with a way to report them, here: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Scam-Phone-Calls-Continue;-IRS-Identifies-Five-Easy-Ways-to-Spot-Suspicious-Calls

[NightWatcher]

3. Don't answer your phone. Make the caller leave a message

These scammers never do.

But seriously who still answers the phone when an unknown number calls?

[brush]

7. They left a message originally.

Chill out, people, just trying to alert people. I've had other scammers try their tricks but this is the first for me from the "IRS".

[abelenkpe]

26. I know right?

Never answer a number you don't recognize.

This scam has left a message on my machine though. My response:

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Whenever the IRS tells you to wire your payment to Lagos

That's a red flag.

[MADem]

5. Susan Collin R-Me talked about this in a Senate committee meeting the other day.

She had her aide call her phone with a spoofed IRS address as a demonstration.

[passiveporcupine]

9. I've never gotten this one before, but

they called me twice today and left a message. Someone must have gotten a new list of phone numbers to try.

[lpbk2713]

10. I've never gotten that particular call.

But a couple of times a month someone will call to tell me I have a virus on
my computer. I usually have fun with them until they hang up in disgust.

[gratuitous]

11. If I'm in the right (wrong) mood

I have had some fun with the callers. I haven't gotten the IRS call yet, but I'm inclined to play along, and finally blurt out, "This is really weird; I work for the IRS and this must be some new program I haven't heard about yet. Can I get your full name and agency ID number? Who's your supervisor?"

[alboe]

14. Thanks for sharing this

Unfortunately, so many people fall for these scams and lose real money.

[just us]

16. Reverse scam

I recently was called by an individual who said I had over paid my taxes and was due a refund for 2001 to 2005. All I need do is purchase a prepaid card and in exchange their agent would bring the check to my home in exchange for the card. I questioned them extensively and agreed to have the card. I set up a camera and mic, they must have smelled something cause they never showed up.

[cwydro]

17. Not at all new, I'm afraid. nt

[brush]

19. New to me, and some other posters here

Last edited Fri Jun 12, 2015, 10:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Can't understand your post. You might have run into this particular scam but others haven't.

Why the snark?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. You perceived "snark"?

I perceived "empathy".

I've gotten similar calls, threatening to be ordered to a magistrate court by the IRS. This and other variations have been exposed in various media, with the advice that the IRS will ONLY use snail-mail, never a phone call, text, tweet, email, etc.

Good that you knew not to take the caller seriously.

[cwydro]

33. Certainly intended no snark.

I know someone who fell for this.

I meant no disrespect at all.

[City Lights]

18. I got numerous calls like that about six months ago. nt

[Grammy23]

20. Many variations on this theme..

The point is that you need to pay attention to things that are Red Flags for scammers. Knowing that the IRS doesn't call you with threats of arrest or to tell you to buy a money card and then call someone (usually in a foreign location) for further instructions are big red flags. We have made it a policy in our house not to ever answer calls from numbers we don't recognize. I read a comment about scam calls that said they had received a call with their own phone number on the Caller ID, so just know that these scammers know all kinds of ways to lure you into answering the phone.

And remember this: Part of their strategy is to call numbers hoping someone will answer because that confirms for them that the number is a working number and will link them to a potential live human being....AKA: VICTIM. MARK. GULLIBLE TARGET.

Easiest strategy is to let it ring. Never answer....even to just screw with them. We let the answering machine pick up and most of the time they just hang up. This includes telemarketers, too, not just scammers. When we do get the occasional scam calls from the "IRS" who bother to leave a message, we just get a good laugh and sometimes make a comment here or on Facebook just to remind people that they are still out there looking for easy money.

[ladyVet]

22. For a while my mother was getting calls for my sister, threatening to have her arrested.

Something about owing money to some place, and that the police would be called unless the money was paid immediately with a credit card. After several of these (after the first one, she wouldn't answer the phone unless she knew the number), finally Mama said, go ahead and hung up. Never called again.

But yeah, you have to watch out for this shit. Some people are so honest (or naive, or ignorant, or whatever) that they don't see how it's a scam. It's the government, right?

[IBEWVET]

23. I got the one about my computer having a virus

I said I had two, a Mac Book which I told him was not subject to a virus, Or my HAL9000 which one was infected? He said your HAL9000 sir. I told him I would open the air lock and that would take care of it.

[truebluegreen]

32. Heh. (slow clap) nt

[suryokecu]

24. not a new scam

I think it's not a new scam scheme. I found so many complaints about this IRS scam since several months ago. The latest complaints filed that I can found is at http://www.whycall.me/509-588-7318.html. They also complaining about the fake IRS calling and asking for immediate payment. Have you report it to FTC or police department, dude?

[hrmjustin]

25. Your link does not work.

[GoneOffShore]

27. If you take off the phone number it works.

But it leads to a site that want's to sell you a mobile app for call blocking.

[uppityperson]

34. click, then remove the period at the end

[valerief]

28. I don't answer the phone unless I know who's calling. If they're real, they'll leave a voicemail. nt

[John1956PA]

30. Last year, I adopted the no-answer strategy and let my answering machine do it for me.

On my business line. I was receiving a ridiculous number of calls from a "Google maps service provider" which, despite the implication, has nothing to do with Google. If that entity is still calling, it is hanging up during my answering machine's announcement. I get about five such hang-ups each business day.

[doc03]

29. I got one of those about a month ago, I hung up. Talked to

several others who got it also.

[Grammy23]

31. Heard on the news another variation on phone scammers....

Reported on local news that people are receiving calls claiming to be from Gulf Power and that they are behind in paying their power bill. If they do not pay immediately (by credit card or other means) their power will be cut off. They are targeting the elderly but no one is exempt from this type of scam.

Utilities typically don't work this way. A written warning or cut off notice is mailed to inform you of the cut off date. One reason for targeting the elderly is that often they have medical equipment in the home that is run by electricity so threats to cut off the power are taken very seriously.

The moral of all of the stories about scams, particularly those conducted by phone, is to not answer calls from numbers you do not recognize. Be skeptical about anyone who calls out of the blue with claims that you owe money and/or must pay immediately with no proof that you actually do owe the money. Scammers are constantly looking at ways of separating you from your money. It is how they make a living, so don't be a victim of their deceptions.

[Tipperary]

35. This was written up in my local paper a few months ago.

I was amazed that people fell for it, but apparently they do.