IRS Phone Scam

[Terry D EA]

For the last week now I have been getting the IRS we're in the process of suing you calls and to call them asap. Well OK!!! I have tried to return their calls just for fun and to mess with them a bit and have kept a list of the numbers they are using. These apparently are robo calls as calling them back returns the number you have reached bla, bla, bla. Tired of this crap, anyone know if there is a procedure to turn them into the IRS and giving them the list of numbers they are using to call? Somehow, the use local phone numbers which unfortunately gets me to answer the phone.

[Possi]

Contacting the IRS might help, but I contacted my telephone company.

When they call me, I answer the phone and scream a stream of expletives at them. It might not help, but it sure makes me feel better. I actually think it worked because I don't get calls anymore. Haven't had one in MONTHS, maybe a year. The telephone company might have something to do with it, but I would like to think it's my tactics!

I tell my clients to get a loud whistle and blow it into the phone when they get a call.

 

[RitaB]

4 hours ago, Terry D said:

Tired of this crap, anyone know if there is a procedure to turn them into the IRS and giving them the list of numbers they are using to call? Somehow, the use local phone numbers which unfortunately gets me to answer the phone.

https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/scam-phone-calls-continue-irs-identifies-five-easy-ways-to-spot-suspicious-calls

• "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."

https://www.irs.gov/uac/stay-vigilant-against-bogus-irs-phone-calls-and-emails

        "You should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your report."

 

[Pacun]

5 minutes ago, RitaB said:

https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/scam-phone-calls-continue-irs-identifies-five-easy-ways-to-spot-suspicious-calls

• "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 report the scammers EVEN if you owe money to the IRS.

[RitaB]

18 minutes ago, Pacun said:

You report the scammers EVEN if you owe money to the IRS.

You make a very good point. 

[Jack from Ohio]

Reporting the scammers is a waste of our professional time.  There is no method to track them as they use internet phones that spoof IP addresses and phone numbers.  Save your time and energy for something useful.

Reporting the scammers is like killing flies outside.  It may make you feel good, but will not have any effect on the amount of flies you will have to encounter.

Simply hang up, curse at them or whatever. 

[Max W]

I agree with Jack, it's a waste of time.  You can get your phone company to block a few numbers, usually ten, or buy a phone blocker, around $100.   Both can be defeated by the caller putting a "0" or "00" in front of the number making it 3 calls to block.  Then the numbers change, so it's back to square 1 again.

I have an unlisted number (over 40 years) and am also on the No Call List, but neither of these helps.  I called one of these numbers back to play with them and found to my dismay they even had my address.  This was quite disturbing, because you are dealing with criminals.

If anyone is interested, they can search the phone numbers and get a page full of sites for reporting scam calls.  You can also find out where the call is coming from.  One call I traced came from a town in eastern WA where the state prison is located.  Hmm! Any connection?

 

[jklcpa]

I agree that it's a waste of time reporting it. I save myself a lot time and aggravation over this by not answering the call if I don't recognize the caller id. I let it go to my answering machine and then call the person back. The amount of incoming calls from other than clients is crazy with the calls from scammers, charities, political polls, card processors, office suppliers, CPE and software providers, just to name a few.

I was up and in my office working on a large project a few nights ago when, at 2:30 a.m., I received a call from a "private caller" with a foreign accent. 

[jklcpa]

I meant to post here on the forum about another scam too.  About 10 days ago, I received a call on my office line from someone claiming to be from Medicare and needing to update my husband's personal information in the Medicare database.  Yeah, right!  The caller had a foreign accent and with lots of background noise, and is obviously a similar scam to others that try to fool the recipient into sharing personal data.  I did a quick google search and found that this is targeting those on Medicare, Social Security, and that might have supplemental insurance, and it may be phrased as needing to update the information presented on any one of those cards.  

[Jack from Ohio]

6 minutes ago, jklcpa said:

I meant to post here on the forum about another scam too.  About 10 days ago, I received a call on my office line from someone claiming to be from Medicare and needing to update my husband's personal information in the Medicare database.  Yeah, right!  The caller had a foreign accent and with lots of background noise, and is obviously a similar scam to others that try to fool the recipient into sharing personal data.  I did a quick google search and found that this is targeting those on Medicare, Social Security, and that might have supplemental insurance, and it may be phrased as needing to update the information presented on any one of those cards.  

It is the newest scam targeted at gullible seniors.  Everyone with aged parents should be making them aware and telling them not to talk to a caller asking for personal information.  These scam call work at the rate of about 1 out of 7.  Everyone should help all the seniors you know to be part of the 6 that are not taken advantage of.

[jklcpa]

19 minutes ago, Jack from Ohio said:

Everyone should help all the seniors you know to be part of the 6 that are not taken advantage of.

Absolutely, at every opportunity!

[Terry D EA]

Thanks All and I know I do not owe any taxes at all. Jack you made me laugh but a very good point.

[Max W]

I just ran across this web site. It has loads of information on how to combat unwanted phone calls.

http://no-more-calls.com/

[BulldogTom]

I saw a quick blub on the TV the other day about a guy who has invented a robo call blocker.  I did not get the name of the company, but apparently he has figured out how to determine if the call is from a robot and if so it answers and hangs up.  Anyone else hear about this company?  Something like norobo.

Tom
Newark, CA

 

[jklcpa]

1 hour ago, BulldogTom said:

I saw a quick blub on the TV the other day about a guy who has invented a robo call blocker.  I did not get the name of the company, but apparently he has figured out how to determine if the call is from a robot and if so it answers and hangs up.  Anyone else hear about this company?  Something like norobo.

Tom
Newark, CA

 

Thanks Tom. I made a post on facebook about a call today and it turns out that 2 friends are already using the service through nomorobo.com and are very pleased!  I have to do some investigating so that I don't inadvertantly block calls from mom's medical alarm company. I have to be absolutely sure that this service will allow those to come through.

[SaraEA]

If someone has already invented a robocall blocker, why don't our phone companies use one????  I blame AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, all of them for allowing this to happen.  I can only believe they must collect tons of revenue from these creeps who dial thousands of numbers a day using their infrastructure.  Passing laws against robocalls (which congress tries to do from time to time) won't work because these callers are not law-abiding folk.  It is possible to deny robocallers access to our phones, but the phone companies won't do it.  (Note I didn't say "can't" do it.)  What we need is a law to make them do it.

[Catherine]

15 hours ago, jklcpa said:

service through nomorobo.com

Just looked them up - they only work through VoIP lines presently.  That won't help at home, nor will it stop the calls to my cell phone - yet.  Apparently they are working on a cell phone version - but it may only work for smartphones if the interface requires internet access.  So I'd still be out of luck.  Phooey.  Oh, well!

[BulldogTom]

13 hours ago, SaraEA said:

If someone has already invented a robocall blocker, why don't our phone companies use one????  I blame AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, all of them for allowing this to happen.  I can only believe they must collect tons of revenue from these creeps who dial thousands of numbers a day using their infrastructure.  Passing laws against robocalls (which congress tries to do from time to time) won't work because these callers are not law-abiding folk.  It is possible to deny robocallers access to our phones, but the phone companies won't do it.  (Note I didn't say "can't" do it.)  What we need is a law to make them do it.

Congress won't block robo calls because they use them for campaign messages.  Congress looks out for Congressmen before they look out for us.  I bet if we set up a robot to call every Congressman's office every single day 200 times, they would pass a law, but it would only apply to government numbers.

Tom
Newark, CA

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

And I thought I really was winning a free cruise each evening :).

Joking aside, several years ago I setup several google voice numbers so I can limit my cell number to family and friends.  Also works great for working from out of the office.  The other benefit is gv filters calls, and can route known spam numbers to a spam folder.  Can also receive texts as emails, and the missed or ignored call transcription is good enough to get by (comcast is a little better at transcribing).  Still get random direct to cell spam calls, but unless from family or friends, or is a forward from a GV number within the time frame I setup in GV (business days and hours), they go to voicemail without ringing.

 

Also use one gv number strictly to give out as a business text message number.  I get the message via email, and reply via email as well.  Easily limits the hours I get "beeped".

[Catherine]

13 minutes ago, BulldogTom said:

I bet if we set up a robot to call every Congressman's office every single day 200 times, they would pass a law, but it would only apply to government numbers.

Ain't that just the truth!

[jklcpa]

1 hour ago, Catherine said:

they only work through VoIP lines presently.

Catherine, I read that too and one friend said it is blocking calls on her service that comes from her cable company, and I do have one of those lines that I'll try it on.

 

[Catherine]

1 minute ago, jklcpa said:

I do have one of those lines that I'll try it on.

Let us know! We have digital phone lines thru the cable company but not VoIP.

[Lion EA]

Call came to our home from a # we didn't recognize, so let it go to voicemail.  When hubby checked, it was the IRS telling us they are filing a lawsuit.  Retired hubby decided to call them and play.  They wanted him to tell his name, though, so he hung up.

[Ringers]

So far I have received about 5 of these calls and for 3 of them I had some time so I played with them.  On the most recent one, two weeks ago, I was very helpful!

When he identified himself as from the "IRS" I faked a panic attack and asked him if his call was about "the letter I received three weeks ago about owing $4231.25 on my 2012 taxes."   (totally fabricated)

His response was "yes, that is exactly what I am calling about."  I could almost see him smiling and  drooling.

I told him that there was no way I could come up with that kind of cash right now, and that I was going to try to get a payment plan.  He said he couldn't give me a payment plan, but if I could come up with just $3500 on a credit card right then, the whole thing would get cleaned up.  I told him times were very tough and all my credit cards were maxxed out.  We went back and forth for about 10 minutes with his offers getting lower and lower.  He kept putting me on hold to "talk to his supervisor" but I think it was just to get high fives from the others in the call center.

 

Finally I told him that the only credit card I have left had only $750 left on it, and that was why I wanted a payment plan.  He said if I authorize the $750 right then, he would "close the file."  I asked him if the entire $4231.25 would be marked paid and he assurred me it would.  With a sigh of relief, I began to give him my credit card number.

"46 (silence) 8 (silence) 2403  ex(silence) ation  3(silence) teen  Cs (silence) 5.    Bat (silence)  going bad (silence)  ca (silence) back!

He tried to call me back 6 times and each time I would answer and then hang up.  On his 7th try I answered and said "Now don't you wish you had gotten an honest job?

I never heard an "IRS" agent use such foul language!!!  Enjoyed myself immensely!!!

 

 

On a similar note, I also have been getting calls about my computer and viruses.  I play along with these also, when I get a chance.  The last one assurred me that my computer could transmit a virus to my neighbors computer even if both of our computers were turned off!  I pretended to be horrified and asked what I could possible do to stop the virus from spreading (much like the flu or Zika).  He told me he could help me out right away--what a guy!!!!

I kept him going for about 10 minutes playing absolutely dumb about computers, operating systems, and keys on the keyboard.   I could almost see his frustration as I said "I have two keys that have "ctrl" on them, which one should I press?"

 

Finally, just before I told him i was going to accept his invite to take control of my computer, I asked if he was Microsoft certified.  I could tell he was not expecting the question and he answered "No, but I I'm CISCO certified."  I told him that I was PANCHO certified and that if did not laugh hysterically at that he should google Cisco and Pancho.

Then I said that I enjoyed wasting his time and building up his hopes of infecting another computer and then "fixing" it.  Believe me CISCO never used language like that on TV when I watched.

 

[Lion EA]

Hubby has played with both the "IRS" and "MS" before today's call, and been cussed out by the callers.  We had a friend at church who played with the caller, and then he received 3:00 a.m. calls for several nights running.