They just called my friend today July 29, pretended that they were the IRS. Said that if she didn't give them money they would arrest her and asked for almost $3000 in cash, asked to meet her in front if a store to give them the money. They told her that she couldn't pay via check or credit card.
How do these people sleep at night? It's upsetting to think that they could even do this to extremely vulnerable people who may be extremely gullible (like little old grannies or grandpas!) They should look themselves in the mirror and be disgusted by themselves for being so evidently malicious. They should be arrested. It's just not right.
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 have received calls from these people on my home phone and my separate voicemail number. Always the same guy telling me he's from IRS. Think I'll get my whistle out for the next time he calls. Remember they used to tell you if you were receiving obscene phone calls to blow the whistle as loudly as possible in the phone and they would stop calling. Might have to try it!
My homephone has been harrashed by this mofo, Indian accent caller. He left several messages a day asking me to call back to 202-506-9841 or 202-506-9723. I knew this is a scam but I wanted to talk to him so i called. This idiot picked up the phone and answered " This is IRS. May I help you?" I started telling him that he is a fraud and i am reporting this call to IRS/FBI/Local police, he mumbled and said " M'am, this is my home phone" then hung up. For you and many others that have been harrashed by this idiot, please go to tigta.gov to report. Obviously there is a whole scam about this going on right now.
I really wish they arrested him and let him rotted in jail.
so, knowing this number is a scam thus I wanted to play along with them. I just called 202-506-9841 and the phone was picked up with " IRS." I said " Oh I got a call from you asking for SSN and a check so I am calling you back to give you the information." The guy was " Yes, what is your name?" and here's the conversation:
Me: No, what is your name?
F@cker: Erin Thompson
Me: Erin? That's a girl name.
F@cker: You think Erin is a girl's name? It's male's name
Me: Alright, what is your IRS agency number? og and by the way, i have an officer on the phone with me. Say hi.
F@cker: ok i know why you are calling..if you need my address just tell me don't need to [***] me
Me: Bushit you huh you mothafocker? Then you should stop [***] people with your [***] IRS scam because how do you like me calling you everyday like this?
F@cker: F** you
Me: No, F**you and your father, your mother, your son, your grandma, your grandpa, and everyone in your blood. how do you like that.
F@cker hung up.
That's what he deserves.