What Should You Do If You Suspect an IRS Phone Scam?

[WWGD]

Hi all,
Just got a call from (240)-200-9704, this alleged Susan Davydov, heavy Indian accent, claiming to be from the IRS, and that they were about to file a case against me and have me arrested. They claimed they had sent me documentation , which I never received, on the case. I looked up , and seems like a scam. https://www.everycaller.com/phone-number/1-240-582-1617/ . What can I do?

 

[Borg]

Ignore it. The IRS would never call you to demand money. Personally, I don't answer numbers that I don't recognize.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The IRS never makes calls like this. They send letter to your house. Definitely a scam. Big problem right now. Everyone seems to get them. Report to the authorities.

 

[Vanadium 50]

It's not a pretend scam. It's a real scam.

 

[russ_watters]

A very common scam. There isn't much of anything you can or should do - just ignore it...unless you feel like trying to report it:

https://www.irs.gov/uac/report-phishing

 

[Borg]

Here's a link from the IRS - Five Easy Ways to Spot Suspicious Calls.

 

[pixel]

I've gotten such calls more than once. Can nothing be done about it?

 

[rootone]

I've gotten such calls more than once. Can nothing be done about it?

The only thing that could be done in principle is to get the number blocked by your phone service,
but these callers frequently change the number they use, so that's not very effective,
and even if the company is willing to investigate a complaint it would take a while for them to do so.
I had a couple of calls this year (Indian or similar accents again), claiming to be from Microsoft who want to do a security fix for my PC .
... Yeah right, a corporation with 3 billion customers wants to do something specially for me.

 

[WWGD]

Thank you all. I am clearly ok-enough to post; even if you know it is a scam, the threats do shake you up. By pretend-scam I meant a scam by pretending to be someone else.

 

[WWGD]

I've gotten such calls more than once. Can nothing be done about it?

You can contribute by calling the number and trashing the person who called you. I did, and I felt I left her shaking after I was done with my extremely abusive return call. I can almost feel her shaking after I was done. I hope that will make her think twice next time.I don't enjoy doing this, but I need to do something to fight back and that is the only thing I could think of.

 

[Borg]

Keep in mind that with todays IP phones, it is very easy for scammers to put whatever number they want as the 'return' number. After all, how did an obvious call center in India call from a U.S. number?

 

[pixel]

I had a couple of calls this year (Indian or similar accents again), claiming to be from Microsoft who want to do a security fix for my PC ... Yeah right, a corporation with 3 billion customers wants to do something specially for me.

I've gotten those calls also. In may case at least, they don't say they are from Microsoft, but rather they are calling about my Microsoft computer. Last time I told them I don't have a computer and hung up.

 

[WWGD]

I've gotten those calls also. In may case at least, they don't say they are from Microsoft, but rather they are calling about my Microsoft computer. Last time I told them I don't have a computer and hung up.

You may want to give them the runaround, pretend you have one for thirty minutes, change topics many times and then tell them you don't have an account with microsoft.

 

[WWGD]

It's not a pretend scam. It's a real scam.

That's why I did not write pretend-scam, so that pretend does not modify scam.

 

[Janus]

The IRS never makes calls like this. They send letter to your house. Definitely a scam. Big problem right now. Everyone seems to get them.

Including a friend of mine who just a short while ago retired from working at the IRS!

 

[WWGD]

The IRS never makes calls like this. They send letter to your house. Definitely a scam. Big problem right now. Everyone seems to get them. Report to the authorities.

Yes, but you see, they are trying to stay ahead of the game. They mentioned of the issue ahead of time and so there was no reason for my not having done anything about it . I replied I had not, and then they said something to the effect that they ( IRS) had indeed sent me many notifications, and that the USPS had been negligent and that they ( the alleged reps of the IRS ) would (something along the lines) file a suit against the USPS for negligence. This alone is absurd-enough to help one see through it, but it suggests they are staying ahead of the game.

 

[Mark44]

I had a couple of calls this year (Indian or similar accents again), claiming to be from Microsoft who want to do a security fix for my PC .

I've gotten those calls also. In may case at least, they don't say they are from Microsoft, but rather they are calling about my Microsoft computer. Last time I told them I don't have a computer and hung up.

Iin addition to several calls purporting to be about my federal tax liability, I've had two or three calls like the one rootone describes. They usually start off saying they are from Windows Security, and they have discovered that there is a virus on my computer. The last call I received, I said "no I don't." They immediately hung up.

My sister received a similar call that alleged that her (brand-new, just out of the box) Mac had a virus. She bit, and the remote person took over her computer. Luckily, she was able to get away before the caller was able to install some malware or ransomware on her computer.

That's why I did not write pretend-scam, so that pretend does not modify scam.

Thread title: "IRS -- Pretend Scam?"
A lot of people would read "pretend-scan" and "pretend scam" to mean the same thing.

 

[WWGD]

I
<Snip>
Thread title: "IRS -- Pretend Scam?"
A lot of people would read "pretend-scan" and "pretend scam" to mean the same thing.

Agreed. They are most likely not as fastidious, "Monk-like" ( notice the dash next to 'Monk' ;) * ) as I am in this respect.

* Monk as in the TV show.

EDIT: My fastidiousness came about as a result of a distracted reading of the phrase " explosive sniffing dogs " lacking the dash. I have not yet seen a dog explode, sniffing or not.

 

[Mark44]

I have not yet seen a dog explode

I have one that has exploded several times in the past. Fortunately, the appropriate antibiotic cured that behavior.

 

[WWGD]

I have one that has exploded several times in the past. Fortunately, the appropriate antibiotic cured that behavior.

Thanks, just threw the burrito I was eating to the trash ( will get two new ones in 10 minutes ;) )..

 

[ConfusedMonkey]

Check this video out: liveleak.com/view?i=2a2_1498466689

Someone, who received a call from a scammer claiming to be from the IRS, wrote a program that calls them back 28 times a second and let's it run for days on end, effectively shutting them down. It's hilarious.

 

[jim hardy]

The IRS never makes calls like this. They send letter to your house. Definitely a scam. Big problem right now. Everyone seems to get them. Report to the authorities.

I think I've told this one before but it seems apropos here...

One day i got a similar call from an Oregon phone number. Foreign accent, i think Pakistan.
I said "This line is awful can i call you back?" and did. The same guy answered so i imitated sounds of static and hung up. Then i called IRS just some number i'd found on their site for IRS employees to report internal fraud.
The nice lady who answered i could tell was about as busy as a Maytag repairman so i said to her :
"I know this isn't your job, but at this phone number is a guy doing the IRS scam thing. If you call right now you can talk to him. Surely somebody in IRS would like to bust him and you must have friends in NSA or FBI who can trace the call.
Here's my name and phone number so you know I'm not pulling your leg.
I hope you can interest somebody up the chain of command in making a splash on evening news.
And i hope you get a big feather in your cap for it !
You seem a very pleasant lady. If nothing else, i hope I've made an interesting couple minutes in your day.".
She said "Hmmmm thank you very much" and i could tell the wheels in her brain were turning.

Well ! That was Tuesday morning.
On Friday's evening news was a story from Portland - IRS busted a Pakistani guy running the IRS phone scam.
Reporters videotaped him walking to the police car in handcuffs. They asked him something and it sure sounded to me like the same guy.
Needless to say i jumped for joy.

Bottom line - don't sweat it , and hit them back if you can.

old jim

late edit amazing scam... https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/oi_highlights.shtml#101