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.
i got a call from these fraudulent people posing as department of internal revenue los angles, ca threating to take me to court. THE ADDRESS THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME HAS BEEN REPORTed TO FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND FEDERAL BUREAU INVESTIGATION IN WASHINGTON, DC ALONG WITH THE TELEPHONE NUMBER
Not sure the game..I picked up and the robo dialer remained on the line..called it back and there's nothing..lot's of fraud out there..beware..the government, if they want you, it will be through a formal letter not some idiot with a robo dialer!!
In broken English with Indian accent said he is Steve Martin to advise me of a Treasury Dept. action. Ignoring the call will be an intentional 2nd notice to fail to respond and therefore will have to appear before a federal magistrate or grand jury, blah, blah blah. "Please help us to help you." The callers sentence structure is as bad as his accent.
What a load of pig crap! Did anyone see the movie Scanners? I'd love to send this guy a nice load of scanners mental waves.
Supposedly our government was going after these guys when they used another phone number. That is some great job the gubmint doing..... just like the Do Not Call list, a complete joke.