I got a recorded call purported to be from Officer G.B. Smith of the U.S. Treasury Department. She said this was about a "legal case filed against your name." She went on with a longer message, mentioning that this was a "final notice" and concerned "tax fraud against you." She directed me to call their "Hotline Division number, 213-985-1928." I suspected this was a fraud and looked it up on US Treasury Department website. They said Treasury Department doesn't contact people in this way and that there are large scams going on. I reported the scam at their website: www.tigta.gov. Click on the red block that says "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting."
I received a call from 213 948-1928 and they left a message on my voice mail stating I owed back taxes and to call right away. They sounded very professional indicating that they were the United States Treasury Deparment and told me I owed a tax amount which was going into collection and asked if I could pay $1,000 today and $25 per month. I explained I didn't have that much in the bank, then he said ok and that they would waive the charge. I didn't realize that it was a bogus call until I googled the telephone number at google and see others have received the same call from the same number. It was really scary because I felt I might owe back taxes and I believed it was a legitimate call because he gave me his officer # and sounded very professional. Thank God it was a hoax.
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.
called me twice today in NYC and left messages on my answering machine; total scam; don't give them anything; see I. S. above to report this to the real IRS
I received 2 voice messages from the number to call immediately regarding tax problem. They were computer generated voices. Thanks for the information and searching the google site.