IRS Recorded Scam Message

[harveyspecter]

So I got this message on my cell:
“THE REASON FOR THIS MESSAGE IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IRS IS FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU. TO GETMORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CASE FILE PLEASE CALL OUR DEPARTMENT NUMBER AT 216-282-0601.”

An FYI, that is an area code somewhere in OHIO.
I did not call back but was reading blog upon blog that whenyou call, there is an individual on the other end with a thick Indian accentposing as Steve Martin or officer Marty Johnson to name a few, obviously American sounding name of course.

Just be carefulout there, scammers are getting craftier and persistent.Never provide bank account/social security #information.
Come with globalization, these people have no fear knowingthat they are insulated from the law as they are 10,000 miles away.

 

[Manydogs]

[MENTION=12554]harveyspecter[/MENTION] I just saw that on the news last night.There are several scams that are asking for your credit card number,saying if you don't pay up the police will come and take you to jail! I can't believe people fall for this stuff. If they take me to jail, they will have to feed me-that will cost 'em!!

 

[Vikinggirl]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It will make us all think twice before believing these pieces of crap, that prey on people for money using scare tactics, threats, and promises of money. I was also scammed last week by someone posing to be a lawyer who needed bail money for my daughter. They scared the hell out of me and I had a shock thinking my daughter had been in a bad car accident. These people don't care who they scare, hurt, rip off or con. They are evil.
they have so many scams, like you owe taxes, your computer has a virus and they want your information to fix it, but really they just want to steal your information, my mom also had an e mail that was supposedly from a bank, it said that my moms Visa card was compromised and that they wanted her card information. She called her bank, and it wasn't true.
More often than not, these scammers target seniors and rob them blind. Thanks for the reminder to never share any of your personal information, bank information, credit card #'s, or give any money on line or send any money to anyone over the phone or Internet. The more we ignore these people, the less they can scam us.

 

[Chunky White]

My mother kept giving money to one of these scam artist around this time last year.

I get calls all the time about giving to charities and half the time it is the same people calling about different ones. I made the mistake of donating to one for children with cancer and its been non stop ever since. I now donate only to the local Fire Dept. and St. Judes

 

[Opie CHL]

I got the IRS call last night. A Mr. Dennis Quaid with a thick Indian accent said the irs was filing a motion against me and to call the number to address any criminal charges and arrest. I saw his exact same message when I googled Irs scams. They tell people they owe thousands and read from a fake, scripted affidavit how you're going to be prosecuted and they get people to pay them a fee to settle their case.
It's scary because they sound legit..aside from the accent and the American movie star names they give themselves. My wife actually believed it and wanted me to call back. I'm not calling back Dennis Quaid..Clint Eastwood maybe...

 

[harveyspecter]

I am just curious, where do they get hold of our phone numbers. hmmm. Wait, I was at a movie theatre last week and an individual ask me to participate in a survey about Chevy Malibu and in turn I received a complimentary tix. Not sure if that marketing shared my phone # with the bad dudes?

 

[rjisaterp]

@harveyspecter Great information


Scam Phone Calls Continue; IRS Identifies Five Easy Ways to Spot Suspicious Calls

Español​

IR-2014-84, Aug. 28, 2014
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert today providing taxpayers with additional tips to protect themselves from telephone scam artists calling and pretending to be with the IRS.
These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request.
“These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake-down calls are not how we do business.”
The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never:

1. Call to demand immediate payment, nor will we call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill..
2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
3. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:

• If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
• You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.

Remember, too, the IRS does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to Internal Revenue Service and type “scam” in the search box.
Additional information about tax scams are available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube and Tumblr where people can search “scam” to find all the scam-related posts.

 

[rjisaterp]

I am just curious, where do they get hold of our phone numbers. hmmm. Wait, I was at a movie theatre last week and an individual ask me to participate in a survey about Chevy Malibu and in turn I received a complimentary tix. Not sure if that marketing shared my phone # with the bad dudes?

Like Robo calls. Automatic dialers etc.

 

[ddnene]

I got the call on my cellphone last week… I immediately blocked the number, and I'm on the DO NOT call list

 

[rjisaterp]

I got the call on my cellphone last week… I immediately blocked the number, and I'm on the DO NOT call list

Fraudsters do not care about "do not call lists."

 

[rjisaterp]

[h=1]Here is an updated version from above. The problem still exists.

IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls[/h]IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2015-18, October 21, 2015
The IRS continues to warn consumers to guard against scam phone calls from thieves intent on stealing their money or their identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Here are several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:

• Scammers make unsolicited calls. Thieves call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via phishing email.
  
• Callers try to scare their victims. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
• Scams use caller ID spoofing. Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
• Cons try new tricks all the time. Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scams often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.
• Scams cost victims over $23 million. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, has received reports of about 736,000 scam contacts since October 2013. Nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million as a result of the scam.

The IRS will not:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:

• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
• Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.

If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:

• Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.

Phone scams first tried to sting older people, new immigrants to the U.S. and those who speak English as a second language. Now the crooks try to swindle just about anyone. And they’ve ripped-off people in every state in the nation.
Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.
IRS YouTube Videos:

• Tax Scams – English | Spanish | ASL

IRS Podcasts:

• Tax Scams – English | Spanish

Subscribe to IRS Tax Tips​

Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 30-Nov-2015