It's the IRS scammers switching to another Wash DC area- code phone number! This is getting out of hand. After seeing repeated calls from this area code ( not picking up and listening to their voice message in heavily accented Indian/Pakistani) decided to pick up. Identifying himself as "David Miller" from the IRS, I identified myself as an IRS agent requesting his employee ID. He was a bit surprised to say the least. He proceeded to give me the telephone number his call was coming in from as his ID number. I questioned this profusely to the point that our voice levels rose considerably... The conversation ended with "David Miller" from the IRS saying "thank you very much Mr. 'Focker' " (I think he was trying to say another word) "IRS agents will be arriving at you doorstep shortly" .....<click>
It's the IRS scammers switching to another Wash DC area- code phone number! This is getting out of hand. After seeing repeated calls from this area code ( not picking up and listening to their voice message in heavily accented Indian/Pakistani) decided to pick up. Identifying himself as "David Miller" from the IRS, I identified myself as an IRS agent requesting his employee ID. He was a bit surprised to say the least. He proceeded to give me the telephone number his call was coming in from as his ID number. I questioned this profusely to the point that our voice levels rose considerably... The conversation ended with "David Miller" from the IRS saying "thank you very much Mr. 'Focker' " (I think he was trying to say another word) "IRS agents will be arriving at you doorstep shortly" .....<click>
Just got this call today, 1:57pm PT 10/3/14. Obviously a digital voice on a recording, trying to sound Americanized, the name was "John Anderson," same Wash DC area code number, clearly spoofed. Couldn't disguise that the accent is Pakistani. It went like this: "This is the tax crime invistigation unit of the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service of the US government [as if an American citizen wouldn't know what the IRS is, right?], the very second you get this message, I need you or your attorney of record to return this messag. Don't disregard this message","If you don't return this call, either the only thing I can do is wish you good luck, etc." Who says "either the only thing I can do is wish you good luck"? As if! No reputable investigative branch of any gov't office would leave a message like that. Come on, people, wise up.
This is the 2nd call from these scumbags in 2 days that I have gotten, and the 3rd call in a week. They should just drop dead. Yet another number I'm adding to the blocked calls list on my iphone.
This is a Pakistan or India based IRS scam. Do not fall for it. The IRS does not initiate any legal action via phone.
Read http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/press/press_tigta-2014-03.htm
As general background information, here are a few things you can do:
1) Report it to TIGTA under http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml especially if you have become a victim (lost money, gave personal information etc.). You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint (include “IRS Telephone Scam" in your complaint). This way you can also help the government establish specific fraud patterns.
2) Help kill their phone lines. The scammers use Voice over IP lines (e.g. magicJack (Ymax corporation)) to make it seem as if they are calling from the US. This is always against these companys' terms of service and can lead to immediate termination of their contract and blocking of their IP addresses for future attempts to register. Do a reverse look up of their telephone number (e.g. www.whitepages.com) to identify the Voice over IP provider and report it to the company and/or law enforcement (local police and/or state attorney general)
3) If you are really annoyed: call or write to your representative in Congress. As these scams happen all over the country maybe this will trigger a reaction and provide US law enforcement agencies with the political backing and the resources they need to work in India and Pakistan together with local authorities (it can happen, read: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ex-call-cen ... mmission-320427). A US task force has already been set up in Jamaica to nab scammers there (see http://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/library/reports/cornerstone/cornerstone7-1.pdf). You can use the following template for your letter (more powerful!) or email:
They called again. I heard background sound like its in a cafeteria or a call center. I recall reading about these scammers using sound effects to mimic being from a call center. This time, they hung up on me without saying anything.