These are criminal extortionists operating in overseas boiler rooms using VOIP to alter their identities and locations and out of the reach of US law enforcement.
If someone calls saying he's an IRS agent and demands that you send money immediately, hang up.
It's a phone scam.In fact, it tops the IRS "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams this year, and it's been surging in recent months, the agency said Thursday.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), which oversees the IRS, has received reports of 290,000 scam calls since October 2013 and said nearly 3,000 victims have been swindled out of $14 million so far.
By altering their caller ID number to make it look like they're calling from an IRS office, these scammers often threaten vulnerable people like the elderly and new immigrants with things like arrest, deportation or the loss of their driver's license if they don't pay immediately for money purportedly owed.
Often leaving messages that say it's "urgent" you call them back, the scammers use common names and sometimes say they are from the IRS Criminal Division. They may even claim to know the last four digits of your Social Security number and send follow-up emails that appear to be from the IRS, TIGTA said.
They often demand that payments be made by prepaid debit card.
Once they make their threats, the scammers have been known to call back and again disguise their caller ID so it appears they are calling from the police department or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Or sometimes when they call, they may say you have a refund due and ask you to provide personal information so you can claim it.
The real IRS will usually contact you by regular mail first, if it needs to contact you at all. And the agency never demands immediate payment by phone or asks for credit card or debit numbers if they do call. It also never asks for personal or financial information by email, text or social media.
If you get what you suspect is a scam call, report it to TIGTA through its Web site or call 800-366-4484.
Got the same call as everyone else ONLY, the first call came from 206 area code the other four from 360, the second from a 360 code and the last two both 360 codes BUT with a different phone number than the others. What a waste of time and space on my answering machine. My big question is: Who would do this and what do they think they're going to get from it except a lot of pissed off people?
I got a call from the same pests, but instead of being sued I was being given $9000 by the US treasury department or some [***] I couldn't make out and it would all be tax free and debt free. I went along to see when the "but" was going to arrive..he asked me if I would like to use moneygram or my bank account. (I said moneygram) I have used there services before, he then gave me a confirmation number and told me to call another number, so I went along with it because there hadn't been a "but" yet.. (mind you im on a 15 minute break at work)so I called the other number and the guy tries to be formal as if he answered a phone from a office of an IRS agent.. (haha with the terrible use of the English language) he tried to convince and guarantee me that he would guide me along the way until the money was in the hand. And HERE COMES THE BUT.....all I had to do was leave a $250 deposit and I was in the clear.
Then I hung up and went back to work lol, he was no Jordan Belfort, I can tell you that much.