Someone with a heavy foreign accent left a message today on my answering machine. He said he was "Officer Daniel Smith" from the Federal ..... Dept. I couldn't understand the specific department, but I'm already aware that this is a scam. I just turned 65 and I'm sure they are targeting seniors. Do they think we're stupid?
Prosecutors Seek 14 Years in Prison for Leader in IRS Scam
NEW YORK — Jul 8, 2015, 9:30 AM ET
Associated Press
The government says the leader of a group that duped American taxpayers into sending it millions of dollars should spend at least 14 years in prison.
Sahil Patel faces sentencing Wednesday in Manhattan for wire fraud conspiracy and other charges.
Federal prosecutors say a long prison sentence is warranted because of crimes Patel committed from December 2011 until his arrest in December 2013.
The prosecutors say people at call centers in India impersonated U.S. law enforcers and threatened victims with financial penalties and arrest if they didn't send payments.
They say Patel exploited "desperate" co-conspirators — especially women.
In a letter to the sentencing judge, Patel said he made "bad decisions" and begged for mercy.
Just received a call from a rep. of the IRS saying there was a warrant for my arrest. All of my assets were going to be taken away and left the following number 607-330-7935. I was going to call just to get a giggle for the day but I'm too tired. Anyway someone else said he was really stupid. I hate to carry on a conversation when someone is unarmed....
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.
This number called said I am being sued by the IRS. They asked for my name, my address and my social security. Of course I didnt give it to them. This guy has a thick indian accent saying he is in new york. He then told me if i dont set up a payment that I am going to jail. I am laughing at him the whole time. I asked him, so many questions about my IRS filing and he could not answer me. He then asked me if I want to [***] with him and told me i have a sexy voice. I did tell him he wasted 10 minutes of my time that is worth than what he makes in a year and hang up. he called me back and he was asking me for money. DO NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATIONS!