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Beware of this scam...

rabbitcaebannog

rabbitcaebannog

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IRS scam ringing San Antonio phones

I live in MA and just had this happen. The scammers left an automated message on my answering machine and said to return the call ASAP or face legal measures. My husband returned the call and was told that we owed back taxes which he ignored to pay and will face legal consequences. My husband said this is the first he heard of this and if it was true, why such extreme threats? He told them he never received anything via mail. They got more aggressive and threaten to send the police to arrest him if he did not take them serious. The moment the guy said this, he knew it was a scam. He reported it to the IRS and they said they were aware of the scam. They apparently also ask you to make payments with them using prepaid cards.
 
Only someone afflicted with Cretinism would fall for that.
 
I got the same call this morning. Seemed a little odd, typed the number in on Google and there it was... Scam. The IRS doesn't call you, they send you mail and you call them.
 
rabbitcaebannog said:
IRS scam ringing San Antonio phones

I live in MA and just had this happen. The scammers left an automated message on my answering machine and said to return the call ASAP or face legal measures. My husband returned the call and was told that we owed back taxes which he ignored to pay and will face legal consequences. My husband said this is the first he heard of this and if it was true, why such extreme threats? He told them he never received anything via mail. They got more aggressive and threaten to send the police to arrest him if he did not take them serious. The moment the guy said this, he knew it was a scam. He reported it to the IRS and they said they were aware of the scam. They apparently also ask you to make payments with them using prepaid cards.
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I had a client who received a very similar call 2-3 weeks ago. She was pretty sure it was a scam, but it still worried her even though she owed no back taxes and has always filed/payed her taxes on time. I told her if it happens again ask for a last name, IRS badge number and a callback number, that and the IRS never just calls you. Problem is there are a lot of ignorant people out there and some of them do owe back taxes and may fall for it.
 
Winchester said:
I had a client who received a very similar call 2-3 weeks ago. She was pretty sure it was a scam, but it still worried her even though she owed no back taxes and has always filed/payed her taxes on time. I told her if it happens again ask for a last name, IRS badge number and a callback number, that and the IRS never just calls you. Problem is there are a lot of ignorant people out there and some of them do owe back taxes and may fall for it.
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Yes, I agree. The thing that got me is it stressed me out all weekend because I didn't get the automated call until Friday night. Once my husband placed the call, we knew it was a scam but I lost some sleep over it.
 
radcen said:
Unfortunately, yes. And this has been on my mind a lot lately. Why do elderly people fall for scams that they never would have fallen for 20 years younger?
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Maybe, they are not as cognitively sharp? Certainly not all elderly people fit that description though.
 
radcen said:
I'm thinking that some people as they age experience some sort of chemical change in their brain where they lose their sense of caution.
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Hmmm, interesting theory. I know my grandfather was way too trusting of people, but I always thought it was a generational thing.
 
It's complacency. As the paranoia and insecurity of youth gives way to experience, people go from constantly looking over their shoulders to never looking at all. In the process, the same instincts that were once raw and untempered, atrophy and become muted.

Guaranteed, if there are any fugitive Nazi war criminals still walking the earth, they flinch at every shadow, despite their senescence.
 
radcen said:
Unfortunately, yes. And this has been on my mind a lot lately. Why do elderly people fall for scams that they never would have fallen for 20 years younger?
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Scams are a lot more detailed now. It's really easy to scam people who aren't paying attention. Robo calls, emails, letters with perfect letter head.
 
Superfly said:
Scams are a lot more detailed now. It's really easy to scam people who aren't paying attention. Robo calls, emails, letters with perfect letter head.
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I agree they have become more sophisticated. That initial call seemed very realistic. It's quite unsettling.
 
NoC_T said:
Only someone afflicted with Cretinism would fall for that.
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I don't know, with the constant and false accusations about the IRS, some people are conditioned to believe the IRS would behave that way.
 
Cephus said:
Who, you would think, are old enough to know better.
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Except that they are also the ones that spend all day listening to FNC and ClearChannel and a daily supply of "IRS is the worst, more virulent agency always out to rob you blind" meme.
 
Summerwind said:
I don't know, with the constant and false accusations about the IRS, some people are conditioned to believe the IRS would behave that way.
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It was mostly tongue-in-cheek.

I+thought+this+show+had+monsters+and+creepy+aliens+with+_2da3b588b97a2116a1b2bd02e7693a60.png
 
rabbitcaebannog said:
IRS scam ringing San Antonio phones

I live in MA and just had this happen. The scammers left an automated message on my answering machine and said to return the call ASAP or face legal measures. My husband returned the call and was told that we owed back taxes which he ignored to pay and will face legal consequences. My husband said this is the first he heard of this and if it was true, why such extreme threats? He told them he never received anything via mail. They got more aggressive and threaten to send the police to arrest him if he did not take them serious. The moment the guy said this, he knew it was a scam. He reported it to the IRS and they said they were aware of the scam. They apparently also ask you to make payments with them using prepaid cards.
Click to expand...

The easiest way to beat scams like this is to never call the number given to you when you get this kind of call (or e-mail). Look up the number of whoever is supposedly contacting you and call it. Then you know you're talking to the right people.
 
molten_dragon said:
The easiest way to beat scams like this is to never call the number given to you when you get this kind of call (or e-mail). Look up the number of whoever is supposedly contacting you and call it. Then you know you're talking to the right people.
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That would be totally my fault. The automated thing threw me for a loop. I wanted to let people know so they wouldn't have to go through such undue stress.
 
tech30528 said:
I got the same call this morning. Seemed a little odd, typed the number in on Google and there it was... Scam. The IRS doesn't call you, they send you mail and you call them.
Click to expand...

I always do this when I get a call from a number I don't recognize.
 
rabbitcaebannog said:
IRS scam ringing San Antonio phones

I live in MA and just had this happen. The scammers left an automated message on my answering machine and said to return the call ASAP or face legal measures. My husband returned the call and was told that we owed back taxes which he ignored to pay and will face legal consequences. My husband said this is the first he heard of this and if it was true, why such extreme threats? He told them he never received anything via mail. They got more aggressive and threaten to send the police to arrest him if he did not take them serious. The moment the guy said this, he knew it was a scam. He reported it to the IRS and they said they were aware of the scam. They apparently also ask you to make payments with them using prepaid cards.
Click to expand...

I got two of these calls in TX in April. It was an alarming message. But I was tipped off by:

The IRS wouldn't CALL. They'd send an official notice in writing.

The ph # he left wasn't toll free.

He said he was with the IRS criminal division. Criminal division? The IRS doesn't have a criminal division. They'd investigate or audit me first. Then if I were going to be prosecute, it would be the DOJ or some criminal agency that would prosecute me, I thought.

The message said I owed some money. The IRS wouldn't call to tell me I owed $. They'd investigate or audit me, and send me a written notice. Everything would be in writing, in order for it to be legal, so they could prove they notified me.

Finally...the piece de'resistance: I had been honest on my return. So I knew there was no big problem.

I realized it was a scam being done right after tax season.

When I didn't call the phone number, would you believe they made a SECOND call to me???? Pretty ballsy.

I called the IRS. I'm surprised your hubby was able to talk with someone. What I got was an automated message to leave a message about possible scams or something. I left a message telling them about the calls.

The IRS should run public service announcements about this sort of thing. But it might be mentioned on the IRS website.
 
JumpinJack said:
I got two of these calls in TX in April. It was an alarming message. But I was tipped off by:

The IRS wouldn't CALL. They'd send an official notice in writing.

The ph # he left wasn't toll free.

He said he was with the IRS criminal division. Criminal division? The IRS doesn't have a criminal division. They'd investigate or audit me first. Then if I were going to be prosecute, it would be the DOJ or some criminal agency that would prosecute me, I thought.

The message said I owed some money. The IRS wouldn't call to tell me I owed $. They'd investigate or audit me, and send me a written notice. Everything would be in writing, in order for it to be legal, so they could prove they notified me.

Finally...the piece de'resistance: I had been honest on my return. So I knew there was no big problem.

I realized it was a scam being done right after tax season.

When I didn't call the phone number, would you believe they made a SECOND call to me???? Pretty ballsy.

I called the IRS. I'm surprised your hubby was able to talk with someone. What I got was an automated message to leave a message about possible scams or something. I left a message telling them about the calls.

The IRS should run public service announcements about this sort of thing. But it might be mentioned on the IRS website.
Click to expand...

The call on my machine did not specify what the issue was and instead said it was urgent and if I didn't return the call, they would take legal measures. The only thing I could think was how many times did I possibly hang up on them mistaking them for a telemarketer? I did check the area code which was from Washington DC. I thought I had avoided them unintentionally.
 
rabbitcaebannog said:
IRS scam ringing San Antonio phones

I live in MA and just had this happen. The scammers left an automated message on my answering machine and said to return the call ASAP or face legal measures. My husband returned the call and was told that we owed back taxes which he ignored to pay and will face legal consequences. My husband said this is the first he heard of this and if it was true, why such extreme threats? He told them he never received anything via mail. They got more aggressive and threaten to send the police to arrest him if he did not take them serious. The moment the guy said this, he knew it was a scam. He reported it to the IRS and they said they were aware of the scam. They apparently also ask you to make payments with them using prepaid cards.
Click to expand...

Just say "Give me your name, license, photo ID, PERSONAL phone number and I will call you back. And what is your address? I want to pay in person!. Why do you want payment by a prepaid card??" They won't bother to call you back.

The IRS won't make phone calls like that. Instead, you will get something in the mail.
 
Glowpun said:
Just say "Give me your name, license, photo ID, PERSONAL phone number and I will call you back. And what is your address? I want to pay in person!. Why do you want payment by a prepaid card??" They won't bother to call you back.

The IRS won't make phone calls like that. Instead, you will get something in the mail.
Click to expand...

It didn't even get that far once my husband called them back. He said a few select words and pissed the guy off who yelled he was calling the authorities at one point. My husband also threatened the guy if he tried to call again. Once he slammed the phone down he contacted the IRS to report the call. They were already aware of them. There is no way either one of us would ever give personal information over the phone EVER. He did say they tried to get his phone number.
 
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