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.
Received a voice mail from an automated officer Nicki Johnson as well- told me to contact them before they take ACTION against me. They called from a 415-599-4435 number.. I've owed the IRS money before they have sent me letters through the mail and don't threaten you the way they did to me on my voicemail. I'm not bothering calling back. I googled the number and found a bunch of other ppl that received a similar message indicating it was a scam.
My 12 year old received a call and voice mail from the ROBOT person. I called it back because it scared her because she has no idea what is going on with the IRS calling her and saying the law will be contacted. Well when I called back the day she received the voicemail I did not received an answer. I JUST called back and spoke with someone they were calling for a Johnny Ray, this is not anyone in my family. I told them they are to never call that phone number again or I would call the LAW. She hung up.