Yes, too many people have heard the same robocall voice say the same thing and give different phone numbers to call back on. This is the first year I saw a name in the caller ID. After several weeks of hearing the message, there will be an article in your local paper saying that several elderly couples lost thousands of dollars to the IRS robocall scam.
YOU know the call is a hoax, a scam, 'a criminal who impersonates IRS and Treasury employees...'
YOU have to tell the senior citizens you know that the call is a scam and must be ignored and why.
The IRS won’t call out of the blue to ask for payment, won’t demand a specific form of payment and won’t leave a message threatening to sue you.
AND you/they can file a complaint https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/202873880-Robocalls
https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/press/press_tigta-2016-01.htm
J. Russell George Urges Taxpayers to Remain on "High Alert"
Expanded Outreach Effort Announced to Prevent More Losses to IRS Impersonators
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) urged taxpayers to remain on “High Alert” and announced additional outreach efforts to prevent them from falling victim to criminals who impersonate Internal Revenue Service and Treasury employees this filing season.
“The phone fraud scam has become an epidemic, robbing taxpayers of millions of dollars of their money,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We are making progress in our investigation of this scam, resulting in the successful prosecution of some individuals associated with it over the past year,” he said, adding that over the summer, a ringleader was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison. “However, this is still a matter of high investigative priority.”
If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment, here’s what to do:
If you owe Federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with your payment questions.
TIGTA encourages taxpayers to be alert to phone and e-mail scams that use the IRS name. The IRS will never request personal or financial information by e-mail, text, or any social media. You should forward scam e-mails to
[email protected]. Do not open any attachments or click on any links in those e-mails.
Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes winner) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.
Read the U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release.
Read more about tax scams on the official IRS website at www.irs.gov/
If you do not owe taxes, fill out the “IRS Impersonation scam” form on TIGTA’s website, www.tigta.gov, or call TIGTA at 800-366-4484.
You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments in your complaint.