IRS phone scam

[ilikerams]

Just got my third one today. They are actually pretty funny to listen to, but I wish it was a real person and not a taped message. I would like to ask them to verify my ssn or even my name to make sure they got the right "person". I'm fairly sure all I would hear is crickets or the dial tone. :lol:

 

[ilikerams]

Just got my third one today. They are actually pretty funny to listen to, but I wish it was a real person and not a taped message. I would like to ask them to verify my ssn or even my name to make sure they got the right "person". I'm fairly sure all I would hear is crickets or the dial tone. :lol:

 

[Kevin]

I get text messages from our “bank” ... BUT! My wife does the banking and our bank doesn’t have my phone number at all. They want me to verify my account information... yeah right.

 

[Fox Mike]

I get text messages from our “bank” ... BUT! My wife does the banking and our bank doesn’t have my phone number at all. They want me to verify my account information... yeah right.

I too have received those messages. That is what the "delete" button is for. The really surprising part is that I have gotten the same message from two or three banks I have never heard of.

 

[tinman]

I use a phone app called "Mr Number". It allows you to enter a number with a short explanation (telemarketer, irs scammer, credit card robo-caller, etc.). This enters the number into a database that will instantly alert others that may get called from that number. It also allows you to block that number on your phone.

 

[Pat-inCO]

They want me to verify my account information... yeah right.

HEY . . . . NO PROBLEM.
You tell me what you have and I'll say yes or no.
But I have a habit of saying no for the first twenty times. :roll:

 

[Mobuck]

If it's a live person, this line usually gets a quick disconnect: "Do you know this is the business number of a Federal agency investigator?"

 

[Snake45]

I got one last week. Somehow I have a feeling that if the IRS has a problem with me, they won't let me know by taped message.

 

[pisgah]

I regularly get calls from the "IRS", my bank wanting to "verify" my credit card account, etc., etc. If I don't recognize the number on caller ID, I will answer, listen to their pitch, then give them friendly advice like "get f****d and die." If I do recognize the number, I answer, "FCC, Wire Fraud Division. How may I help you?".

 

[olcop]

They have a new trick now; got a call yesterday from a number I didn't recognize, so, I didn't answer it---I then Googeled the number and it came back as the local utility--so, I called the number to see what was going on---got an intercept that said the number was disconnected or no longer a working number----seems that the scammers are using disconnected numbers as the phone number. It's difficult to stay ahead of the bas****s!!

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I have seen in more than one place that it's highly inadvisable to respond in any manner with the word "yes" to any suspect call as it could be recorded and used to "document" the fact that you agreed to whatever the scammer is pushing.

No idea if this is true, just thought I'd mention it.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Got two calls yesterday. I hung up on them.

 

[gasbag]

My phone spam blocker blocks any call I receive
that isn't in my contacts list. It's simple, it's efficient and
I don't have to talk to anyone I don't know.
I guess the only downside would be I don't get to play these silly little games
with the scammers who call that some people seem to enjoy so much.
Maybe I'm just not a people person......... :wink:

 

[ronto]

When I got one of those they gave me an Illinois area code to respond to and I live a long way from Illinois. :lol:

 

[bogus bill]

Awhile ago some woman called me with a free cruise or vacation and I turned her down and she asked me why. I started bawling and told her I was a paraplegic. She apologized and it sounded like she started to cry too. I didn't hear from that one again.

 

[Ozark rkg]

Oh, I love these calls. I told one Pakastani (or whatever he was) that I was a homicide detective at a crime scene of a multiple homicide and that he had just called the number of the prime suspect. "You are now a known associate and I have some questions for you. We have the GPS coordinates of your location and you are now part of the investigation". He didn't hang up! He stuttered and stammered about his job, etc. It was glorious.

 

[Rick Courtright]

I got one last week. Somehow I have a feeling that if the IRS has a problem with me, they won't let me know by taped message.

Hi,

USPS first, and generally ONLY. The exception for phone calls is IF you already have an ongoing case and have given permission to the examiner to call you... and the exception for e-mails is IF you've subscribed to one of their mailings (I get lots of legit e-mails from IRS thru that pathway. But they don't tell me I'm being sued or they just found another $250 they want to refund me!)

Try as they may, IRS still can't convince everyone out there they DO NOT cold call or email taxpayers. Heck, I can't even get it thru some of my own clients' heads: "IT'S A SCAM!" is my automatic first response when they call me about their latest call, followed by "HANG UP IMMEDIATELY!" No matter what, there's always that moron who just has to "Call them back and ask how they got my name" or some other stupid thing. "But they said they're from the IRS" is how one of my bigger "box of rocks" types always comes back. He's always disappointed when he calls back: "The number didn't work." Really? You want me to act surprised or what?

If humans had a natural enemy which only ate the stupid ones, the roads would be stacked high with overfed predators! ;)

Rick C

 

[Fox Mike]

Answering machine is.our answer. If we don't recognize the number, it doesn't get answered. I check the messages daily. If there IS anything that needs to be answered then we will. If not the "delete" button is our friend.

 

[mistermills357]

They can be a laugh a minute, such as, the IRS is after me....that sort of thing. I have gotten those myself.

 

[kmoore]

I was getting recorded messages left throughout the day. Saying about the same thing "You have several issues outstanding, in 24 hours the police will take you under arrest. Call this number and get the problems taken care of. I really like the part "You will be taken under arrest."
I wanted to play so I did. Phoned them back and they claim to be US IRS with a middle eastern voice, likely Indian. I tell them quit calling you ****. I still got calls next several mornings so, I continue to play. I state I am going to phone you back all day everyday until you stop these BS. I phoned them every 5 mins and called them ******. They actually blocked my number.
I got more calls from a different fake US number, same warning. I thought I would take as much of their time as possible, all day. I call and say my name is Rowdy Gates, I am sorry please do not arrest me. Give them a fake address. I talk and talk and talk. They ask for CC numbers to clear this up it will cost XX. I keep them on the phone for minutes saying please do not arrest me etc etc, then I say F***Y**** You lying B's. and phone back in a few minutes and do it again and again. Each time I got a different person. They blocked me from calling back 3 different numbers and it has been 2 months and no more calls.
Next step if happens again, I will call back and blow a loud whistle into the phone when the fool answers. And do it until I get blocked. 2 can play their game.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Next step if happens again, I will call back and blow a loud whistle into the phone when the fool answers. And do it until I get blocked. 2 can play their game.

Hi,

Just ignore them! By playing along, now they know they've got a live number, which will probably be sold to unknown numbers of other scammers. Then the phone won't stop ringing. I have a client who calls me with "the latest" whenever he gets one of those calls. "How did they get my number?" he asks. "You answered the phone..." I tell him. It's been about a week since I got my last regular "check in" call from him. ;)

Rick C

 

[kmoore]

Your right about the selling of phone numbers. So far no more calls from anyone from the country of India. The dept PIO told me the FBI reported they arrested a bunch of these types maybe 6 months ago. The scam is run in the USA, phone calls routed to India or Pakistan, He was not sure which country. They answered with IRS when you phoned them. Money was collected over seas and most send back to the guys (ring leaders) in US. They Id'ed 1 guy who gave them money and they took 19,000 dollars.
He said the foreign country involved also found and arrested guys at the call center.
I am still keeping a whistle nearby.

 

[toysoldier]

I was getting repeated calls from what sounded like the same persons, one man, one woman, for different scams. I got fed up and dug out a whistle from my junk drawer. One blast to each, and they haven't called back. :twisted: