Received a recorded call on my home phone this morning from the IRS advising that a lawsuit had been filed against me. Looks like I am the first one since there are no posts on Notes. Instructed to call 978-525-8387 to obtain the file number and more information. Caller ID showed Massachusetts. Beware everyone. Obviously a scam looking for either SSN or credit card numbers. The IRS will never call advising you that a lawsuit is filed.
Got a call this morning from this number too - at 5:30am!!!!! Didn't answer - picked up the receiver and put it back down so it wouldn't go to voice mail. Annoying to be woken up like that.
I, too, received this call quite early in the morning (PST). NEVER answer a call that early of the morning, especially if you do not recognize the phone number! Even though a message was left, it was automated and cut off just before, "The IRS has filed a lawsuit against you for back taxes...." (As if in a continuous loop) The only information that was repeated was the phone number they wanted you to call to pay, "...the amount owed immediately..." **RED FLAG** Again, I URGE you, do not answer your phone and more importantly DO NOT call them back! If the IRS needs to get ahold of you concerning back taxes, correspondence will come in the mail (unless YOU called them and asked for a call back).
As a retired prosecutor in Florida, I could not resist the temptation to call back. "Mike" from the IRS answered the call and gave me a phony ID number. I gave him a fake first and last name, and fake last four digits of my SSAN. He said he found my records and I owed $7,500 for underpayment of taxes for tax years 2009-2012. I told him I had an accountant. He said he was not going to talk to anyone but me and I was "going to jail in one hour." I asked how I could take care of this. He was extremely aggressive, hated interruptions, and asked how much money I had in my bank account. I told him $3,000 in a checking account. Here is how the scam works. I was directed to give him a cell phone number and go to the nearest CVS or Walgreen pharmacy. I was to purchase a pre-paid debit card for $3,000 and follow his instructions. He had already called the police so I only had less than an hour to get this done. Obviously I would be instructed to give him the card number and pin while watching my money disappear into oblivion. He was generous enough to offer a "payment plan" for the balance. I told him I was recording our call and since I was a prosecutor in Florida I needed his permission to continue the recording. Mr. Mike hung up. I contacted my closest CVS in Tallahassee and spoke with the manager. Fortunately, CVS is aware of this type of scam, but the manager was sending an alert to all of the stores in his district. Trust this helps anyone reading this post and thanks to CA for the additional input. I too would not suggest calling these thieves back.