Received a call first from a Nigile; said he was from the Dept of Legal Affairs at US Treasury and that I was to call Angela Johnson at 347-926-7026. I called and Angela (whom she said she is from the Dept of Legal Affairs of the US Treasury) said there is an arrest warrant out for me for business taxes from 2008 in the amount of $80,057.00. Angela said I could do a settlement and/or pay plan. I said I don't recall owing for 2008. Angela said did you not receive a CP503. I said no. Angela said several notices were sent to you with no response from me. Angela said Chris Evans the IRS Officer will be out to arrest me. Angela said I would have to pay $3000 toward the taxes owed. I told Angela I don't have that kind of money. Angela asked how much do I have to put down on the taxes? I said only about $1000. Angela instructed me to go to Walmart and ask for a green dot money pak voucher. Angela told me not to hang up because she has the officers on the other end; and if I hang up the officers will come to arrest me. Angela said they have had others who promised to do it immediately and never did; so now you must stay on the line with her until the money transaction is done. Angela told me that I have only 30 minutes to complete the down payment on the taxes until the officers come to my place or work or home to arrest me. Angela said after the down payment is made, IRS will send me documentation of it and set me up on a pay plan and/or settlement amount. My husband and I went to Walmart to do as she had requested. I had to go to the Money Booth and asked for a green dot money pak voucher. (of which Angela told me not to say it was for taxes or Walmart will charge me a percentage and not the typical $4.95) for a voucher. I asked the woman for a voucher and she said for how much, and I said for $1000. She then said she needs to know what it is for. I hesitated because Angela told me not to say taxes or I would have to pay a percentage. The woman at the Money Booth said "I am just trying to protect you because there have been many scams lately"; of which there was just one for about the same where a woman paid $3500 and was scammed. The woman at the Money Booth put in a call for Walmart security. His name was Justin. Well Justin got on my cell phone with Angela and said a few words and Angela hung up on him. Justin told me it was a scam and that I should report this to my local authorities.
A MAN HAS CALLED ME TWICE FROM THIS NUMBER USING ONLY MY FIRST AND MIDDLE NAME. HE SAYS HIS NAME IS JUSTIN BLACK AND HE IS CALLING FROM THE DEPT. OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AND SAYING THAT IF I DON'T CALL BACK THAT IT COULD TURN INTO A LEGAL AFFAIR FOR ME. HE HAS A FOREIGN ACCENT.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:
•is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
•refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
•asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
•exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
•Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.•Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
•Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
•Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
•Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.