Beware of Phone Calls from the IRS

[frawin]

I was working in the Garage this Morning and Myrna came out all upset, I said what is the matter she said" I just got a phone call, when I answered , they said" this is the IRS and we are filing suit against you immediately", then they hung up. We took it to our CPA, she said ignore it, they are just trying to get information so they can get money out of you. They would probably want your Social Security #s, Bank Information and other information that would enable them to steal from you. I wanted everyone to be aware of this.

[proelkco]

Many thanks

[Jane]

Yes, we received one of those calls. They hang up before they ask you any questions, but it make you wonder what is going on.

[Diane Amberg]

We get those here too.Totally fraud.They prey on older people and those who aren't very bright.Ignore them.

[Wilma]

I haven't received that particular call, but I can tell you that the IRS does not contact you by telephone to collect a debt.  They do it by mail and you are invited to visit with them personally and set up a payment plan.  If they do have to go after you, they do it through the courts.  I have personally handled enough IRS collection letters to know whereof I speak.

And, don't fall for it.  Don't let it upset you.  If they try to get you to send them money, call your local law enforcement and report it.  I hang up on calls that I don't want to hassle with and especially those that won't listen to me or those that are obviously recordings.

[W. Gray]

The December 2015/January 2016 issue of AARP Magazine has a three-quarter page article on this IRS scam.

Essentially, the advice is what Wilma said concerning that IRS will write you to demand payment and to ignore the calls.

We have our land line phone number pop up over the television screen when there is an incoming call.

We get a number of robo scam calls each day and now we do not answer the phone unless we know the number and will only talk to other callers unless they leave a message and then only if we know who they are.

We have received the IRS scam three times in the past year and one of the calls was from a female with good English but I could tell she was a foreigner. She also sounded a little hesitant. I can tell you that the first time we got the call, I jumped out of my skin but after listening to the playback noticed they did not even mention my name or confirm who I was. And, I don't think the caller provided their name.

Somehow these foreigners call from their country using various and sundry relay numbers in the US. They also use fake caller IDs that show up on the TV Screen or on the cordless phone.

The IRS scam leaves a message but most other scam callers do not. We mostly get robo calls from 1-800 numbers but we have received calls from non 1-800 numbers within Colorado and other states. Area code 202 seems to be popular.

Further, we have received three calls from our own number.

Mysteriously, we have only received one or two of these calls on our cell phones.

[W. Gray]

KOA radio in Denver reported this morning that 5,500 people nation wide have fallen prey to the IRS telephone scam. Those folks lost an average of $5,300 for a total of $29m.

[frawin]

Waldo, a Good Friend in Bartlesville Posted this on Facebook."I  just got a Message  from a friend here in Town letting me know that my Family and I are on Holiday in Manila and I can't get the ATMs here to work, so I am requesting to Bum $3000.. from her to clear up something before going to the Airport. Rest assured that my Big Butt is right here in Okieville and I DO NOT need a loan. Please disregard this ridiculous message
and I will get busy trying to clean this mess up. P.S. at least it was not from Nigeria this time and they used Proper English and spelling.