About 10 am 9/26/14 Electronic voice call claiming to be the IRS about a "time sensitive issue". (On my answering machine.) IRS mails out notices. They don't typically call unless you have something "currently going on with them" that you are constantly conversing. I believe it's a scam.
http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/11/warning-new-irs-phone-scam/
About 10 am 9/26/14 Electronic voice call claiming to be the IRS about a "time sensitive issue". (On my answering machine.) IRS mails out notices. They don't typically call unless you have something "currently going on with them" that you are constantly conversing. I believe it's a scam.
http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/11/warning-new-irs-phone-scam/
Report the Calls to the real IRS here:
•report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
•You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments in your complaint.
******
Do consider maybe getting a call blocking device or phone.. You can google them and many are around $60.00 or so.
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:
I received a call from "Jamie Smith" (202-241-0880) on my answering machine, early in the morning, saying that he was with IRS, and wanting "my attorney of record" to call back, of which I have none. I was not planning to call back, but I sure wouldn't after reading your posting.
Officer Julie Smith from Internal Revenue Service and the hotline to my division is 202-241-8194. I repeat it's 202-241-8194. Don't disregard this message and do return the call before we take any action against you. Goodbye and take care.