The 202 area code was one of the first area codes that we ever blocked - over two years ago. Don't know who or what this call is about - blocked - our phones did not ring.
The IRS does not initiate contact via a phone call, they first send postal letters.
The IRS does not threaten arrest.
The IRS does not demand immediate payment over the phone.
The IRS does not ask for Credit card, Debit card, or prepaid money card information, at all.
It is a scam ran by offshore criminals attempting to trick you into sending them money.
Hang up and report the call here:
https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml
More info:
https://www.irs.gov/uac/report-phishing
https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/phone-scams- ... 6-filing-season
So I got a voicemail from this number at about 12:30 yesterday. The voicemail is threatening arrest and claiming to be from the IRS. Obviously a scam but I figured I'd call back anyway.
The first guy that answered just said hello. When I asked who I called he hung up.
The second guy, "Robert Matthews", told me asked me what was the last year I filed for taxes. I said I have filed my taxes since I was 18. He asked, "when you were 18?" and I said no, every year since I was 18. He then told me I had a debt from my 2012 taxes. I said that's weird because I got a refund in 2012. He argued with me that government doesn't give refunds on taxes. Clearly not familiar with US tax codes. After I said that nearly everyone in the US gets tax refunds he hung up on me.
I called back and spoke with an Eric who claimed to be a supervisor. He asked what RM told me so I relayed the messsage and conversation I had with RM. Then I asked Eric if he was familiar with the refund process and he hung up on me.
I called back again and got RM who told me they had called me by mistake (you bet they did) and when I asked how I got on a list to call (with an amount owed) he hung up on me.
So I called back today at 9:30 AM and got another guy (forgot to write down his name) and he put me on hold to "get my file" and he came back and said that I was charged with tax evasion and tax fraud from 2009 to 2015. I asked how could that be if I got refunds each of those years. He put me on hold and came back and said the refunds were by mistake. He told me several times that I was going to be arrested in 45 mins (an hour and a half ago) and that the arresting officers would bring the evidence and go over it with me for a half hour before arresting me. I could of course settle it over the phone (wouldn't the warrent have already been issued at that point?) for $5K. I asked what address they had for me. He didn't have that kind of information in my file (seriously?). I asked where "my place" was (he kept saying they would come "to your place"). He said my home. I said I wasn't at my home but at work. He said then they'll come to my work. So after a little while longer he hung up on me.