Got the Nikki Johnson call too. Guy with a thick Indian accent, sounded like he was calling from a busy warehouse and not an office setting. He asked for my name and number. I provided only the number, and said "well you should have my name since you called me." He threatens, "I am trying to help you, but if you aren't willing to give me this information I can send the local authorities to your house to arrest you." So I counter: "I've got nothing to be arrested for. But tell me, where would you send these officers? What's my address?" And he stammered and hung up. I then looked up the phone number on Google, and found out this is a huge SCAM. WARNING: (323) 647-5768 "Nicky Johnson" IRS Agent SCAM. #nickyjohnson #irsphonescam
We received a call from this number earlier today. They left a message for my husband on my phone, also claiming he needed to contact Nikki asap. Once he returned her call, she was immediately aggressive and rude, claiming he owed $4,000 from 2011 - 2012, claiming he filed fraudulently and she was going to freeze his bank account for 7 years and send the police to our home with a warrant. He had her on speaker, so I had him ask for a supervisor, she quickly and bluntly just said "No." I immediately grabbed the phone and protested, I told her she can't tell us no, If we request a supervisor she HAS to obey and transfer. As soon as I said this she hung up on us, leaving us completely stressed and confused... Then we researched the number, and found this! We aren't the only ones. We too did not speak with a Nikki, but a different woman with a strong Indian accent.
Screw This Number!!!!! POS!!!!!!!
Same deal, wife was just scammed on the phone. She freaked out and called the number back. Got the threats of arrest, back taxes, etc. Provided her name and last four.
Tatic: Initiate threats, and intimidation, have victim provide some financial payment to prevent legal action. Threats of arrests, bank seizures, etc. Total scam. If it only works on one in a hundred the caller is making money.
IRS: Will send you a notice of with a legitimate 1-800 or 1-888 number to call. They will not threaten, intimidate, or demand payment.
The IRS will not call not unless it is for a very specific reason.
Tips: Ask for a call back number, email address, supervisor's name and number, mailing address, etc..
If it is legite they will provide all of the requested information and more.
Check the number on the Internet before calling back. You will find out if the number is legit.
IRS Telephone Lines and Hours of Operation
Service
Telephone number
Hours of operation
IRS Tax Help Line for Individuals
(800) 829-1040
M–F, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., local time
Business and Specialty Tax Line
(800) 829-4933
M–F, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., local time
Practitioner Priority Service (Practitioners Only)
(866) 860-4259
M–F, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., local time
e-Help (Practitioners Only)
(866) 255-0654
e-Help Desk Hours
Refund Hotline
(800) 829-1954
Automated service is available 24/7
Forms and Publications
(800) 829-3676
M–F, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., local time
National Taxpayer Advocate Help Line
(877) 777-4778
M–F, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., local time
Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD): Forms, Tax Help, TAS
(800) 829-4059
M–F, 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., local time
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System
(800) 555-4477
24/7
Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TEGE) Help Line
Got the same Nicky Johnson/IRS phone call today, but never answer the phone unless I recognize the phone number.
The IRS is aware of this scam and report that it is international in scope and the largest they have seen. Please read their press release and report the incident using their form so it can be investigated further, and hopefully stopped.
I received a recorded message that gave her name and she was an IRS officer. She said that I should call this number to get further details. That the call was serious and I should not ignore. I suspected but could not tell for sure. I called back and was looking for some trigger to tell me that this was a scam. Marcus Brown said that she worked for him, I could hardly understand him with the background noise and his heavy Indian accent. What gave him away was that they did not mail anything nor would he fax or mail anything to me. Only thing he could do was read off a statement to me which included IRS section numbers: 6211A, 101A and 51T. He could not tell me that address that he stated agents had visited, but rattled off 3 dates that they had attempted to contact me. He gave me a case number and a total amount that I owed which included principal, interest, penalties, and Federal transaction charge. The under $5000 amount was much less than others that I have known who owed IRS money for years and mine was just being determined for 2 years previous. He then told me that my case was already in the court and it would be downloaded to the local sheriff and they would be coming to pick me up in 2 hours. He said that he was not trying to get any money from me but simply wanted the name of my lawyer.
All of my questions and repeating his statements must have been frustrating because he ended up hanging up. I might have been afraid, but I was working out-of-town and if he could not tell me my address he definitely could not find me out-of-town at a temporary location which is not even documented. He also tried to scare me by saying that they were going to confiscate my drivers license, credit cards, debit cards, and my bank accounts. He said that the sheriff would be taking me straight to jail. He said that they tried to contact me in person the first attempt - not by mail because they needed a signature from me to accept the papers - not by FEDEX because it was not a federal agency. USPS can get signatures.
1. IRS always mails a letter of issue.
2. They do try by interview (you come to them) several times to research the issue.
3. Penalties can be high because it can take many years to research and declare that you owe them.
4. If he had my case notes he should have had my address, and more specifics about the case.
5. He was calling from LA and that is unusual. All issues should be handled from the local office. They have offices in at least the closest major city.