Phone Calls from the "IRS"

[kybearfuzz]

The last couple of weeks I have been getting "robocalls" from the "IRS" or the government. There have been some variations on each call as they're not the same. They basically say that this is my "final notice" to contact them regarding a federal lawsuit against me for some undefined legal matter or violations. It also states that if I choose to ignore this phone call that I will be arrested by the "cops" (their word, I swear). The call ends with a phone number that I need to call to settle this matter and the number changes each time as well.

This is a known scam. From what I've read online, if I call the number, someone (probably with a foreign accent) will curse and lambast me, stating that I owe a significant amount of fines that must be paid in that instant (via credit card or bank transfer). Failure to do so will have the federal authorities at my door within seconds to cart me off to prison. These @$$holes prey upon the elderly quite a bit with this scam, from what I've heard.

I am half-tempted to call them, put on a full-blown crying jag, complete with anxiety attack and begging fit, just to see what they'll do, to waste their time as they have annoyed me.

I'm actually surprised that Uncle Sam has not cracked down on these fools as they are presenting themselves as federal agents, which is against the law in itself, not to mention the extortion angle.

Comments

[clintswan.livejournal.com]

assholes! :(

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I'm not sure why I'm suddenly getting a surge of them.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Any kind of scam is infuriating, but this one would have me seething. Perhaps, you can tell them you are a policeman and are having the number traced!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Most of the time the numbers can't be traced. I think they have a special set-up where the phone call goes overseas, or else I'm sure these folks would have been arrested.

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

My parents sometimes get similar calls, but are fortunately savvy enough to ignore them.

I have done my best to educate them in phone and internet scams.

I often get e-mails from 'PayPal' telling me I need to log-in to my account regarding a payment. The e-mails are so convincing to look just like a pukka PayPal e-mail. It's easy to see how people are tricked.

Bastards.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

My mom is 77 years old and I've had to tell her repeatedly that this is a scam. She freaks out so easily these days, but the calls are pretty official-sounding.

Evil people are in the world, my friend. They sadly exist.

[barak.livejournal.com]

Last spring I read a hilarious story about a comedian trolling the scum who tried to pull this specific scam on him, which you can read here.

I believe they change their phone numbers often enough that they avoid being caught by the police, but I suspect the authorities could always use the banking information to help fight them. But yeah, its better to ignore them, even though wasting their time only serves to frustrate them.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Oh that story is FANTASTIC! It makes me want to do it too, but I really don't want these crooks having my cell phone number.

[ricksf.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised as heck that legislation against robocalling isn't a hotter topic.

[coryblank.livejournal.com]

Don't you hate that?!? My mom is receiving them too.

[hardybear.livejournal.com]

I got those calls too. I even went to the IRS in person to complain, but they said they could not do anything. That is infuriating. Surely, the telephone companies could track those calls if they wanted to.

The world is a place with many pitfalls and few heroes, these days.

[isledemoi.livejournal.com]

Hello there. Came across your blog by chance. Hope you don't mind. Was just going to say that I live in France and had one of these scam calls earlier this evening. Much the same deal only spoken in French ...