Another IRS phone SCAM going around

Don M.

Don M.

SF VIP
Location
central Missouri
There are always IRS phone and E-mail scams going around by thieves claiming to be from the IRS. Currently, there is one targeting a lot of people in our area....a phone call stating that the IRS is about to levy a lawsuit against us. The phone they are calling from is a landline in Washington, DC....(202)864-1317...and if you let the phone ring, they leave a message to call this number to get help with the "lawsuit". Yeah, right...give them your credit card info and watch them drain your account.

This is such a problem that the IRS has set up a phone number....800-366-4484...which is swamped...but there is also an IRS web site at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam_ok.shtml, where you can report these thieves. IF you DO pick up the phone to one of these calls, immediately hit 9, and hang up...the number 9 should trigger the phone company to put your number on the No Call list.

The IRS Never makes a phone call, or sends an e-mail regarding a tax problem. If you did your taxes wrong, you will get a Letter.
 

My phone allows me to block numbers, which I do with any incoming call from a number I don't recognize where no message is left. I also check the number at http://www.800notes.com to see if others from around the country have reported the same number. A good sanity check. A quick way to do this is simply put the number in your search browser, such as 2028641317 and hit return. It will often bring up 800notes.com as the first or 2nd hit if this number is being reported. I get a number of calls each day from all kinds of scammers out there.
 
QuickSilver said:
Why do people even fall for this crap?
Click to expand...

It is surprising, but apparently they do. My elderly in-laws nearly fell for an even more insidious phone scam a few years back that involved someone pretending to be my son and claiming that he'd been arrested and needed bail. They were at Walmart all set to send a wire via Western Union when a kind-hearted soul at the desk said she'd heard about this scam and to be sure the call was legitimate. Even after calling us to confirm that our son was nowhere that the scammer claimed he was, my in-laws were barely convinced. They were this close to losing a large sum of money. The scum that do this prey on the vulnerable and unfortunately, senior citizens are easy targets in many cases.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top