This IRS thing can really impact your budget!

[Ranger111]

I have been hearing about this for a few years, but thought there was a slight chance some of you may not have heard.

I was jarred awake at 5:30 a.m. a couple of days ago by a recording from "THE IRS -- Internal Revenue Service(s)" Note the extra "s"

I was being sued and needed to call a number and pay off the debt immediately with a payment card from 7-11 or law enforcement would be at my house within "some short amount of time" and I would be hauled off to jail.

Of course a scam -- but with elderly parents and kids off at college, was not happy to have the 5:30 a.m. call -- you understand I figured a broken hip for the elders or a kid in jail for the children...

Then the same recorded call at 7:15 a.m. I am up by then, so not as bad. No calls since, but these people have apparently taken MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of $$ from folks according to news reports I have read.

Might want to heads-up those friends and relatives who are not as cynical as I am -- ie -- older parents, etal.

 

[pjlla]

I've had this call twice, both times on my cell phone. I blocked the number, but I'm sure they will try again. Sorry you were startled, but glad you knew better. I had the same thought as you... I'm sure there are folks who have reason to believe this or are gullible and might believe it. Perhaps a marriage situation where one spouse doesn't fully trust the other to pay the taxes or something like that. I was so glad I could rest easy that it was just a scam............P

 

[lauradis]

This is what block phone number technology was invented for.

Block them and tell everyone.

 

[gulf breeze]

I am sick to death of these type of phone calls....how do you block them on your home phone and cell? I've registered with the Donotcall.gov and that doesn't seem to help much.

 

[christineann]

I'm getting calls from "the IRS" and "the Treasury Department." I don't answer, so they go to voicemail. It sounds like both are outsourcing their call centers overseas ROFL.

 

[Ranger111]

I have caller ID with call blocking for anonymous calls and I can block individual numbers, but these come across as different numbers each time, so I guess I could block one, but then the next call would be from a different #. From what I read, they "spoof" numbers so that the number you see on your CID is not the number the call originates from.

Don't know, just know that any early/morning or late night call to someone with kids away from home and elderly parents is always a bit heart-stopping.

 

[mrsksmithvt]

Please, Please, Please spread the word of this scam. The senior population is so vulnerable to these calls. Many do not have computers to google these scams. These scammers are persistent and are mean when they call. Our aging population did not grow up with computers and many do not own computers, also may have very remedial skills when it comes to technology. Please spread the word in your community about these scams (church, grocery store, local groups,
senior centers, community centers, etc.) The elder population will send money to these people first before they tell anyone they owe money(even when they don't) especially their immediately family.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Sca...ifies-Five-Easy-Ways-to-Spot-Suspicious-Calls

 

[Ranger111]

Well, these things really tear at me because people such as my sister-in-law who dithers over whether to buy the $1,400 purse vs the $1,600 purse, of course never are taken by them.

It always seems to be the elderly who can barely afford food for the day, or the family that pays the demand, and whose children will go without breakfast for the next 9 months. Anyway...

 

[pklein09]

The IRS will NEVER contact you via telephone or email. They will ALWAYS send a letter through the mail.

 

[jedijill]

I got one the other day pretending to be the county sheriff and if I didn't send money I would be arrested. This scam has been reported on our local news.

Jill in CO

 

[SC Minnie]

We've gotten the IRS call a couple of times on our voicemail.

Please, please, please tell your elderly parents, neighbors, friends about these types of scams. My stepfather got caught by one and they got a good bit of money from him before my mother got out of him what was going on and stopped it. It was the one where the grandchild is in trouble and needs money to get out of jail. These people know how to talk in circles and get people confused, especially elderly that aren't aware of these things, and make them divulge things the scammers then use like names, locations, etc. to keep the scam going.

 

[ThistleMae]

Wow, this is a new one for me. I've gotten the calls from a person claiming to be a Windows representative telling me they have determined my computer is at risk. What I've decided to do lately, besides hang up, is to ask if they have a family, what would their children think of them trying to rob people, do they believe in God.... I am trying to send a message....who knows....

 

[Canadian Harmony]

Wow, this is a new one for me. I've gotten the calls from a person claiming to be a Windows representative telling me they have determined my computer is at risk. What I've decided to do lately, besides hang up, is to ask if they have a family, what would their children think of them trying to rob people, do they believe in God.... I am trying to send a message....who knows....

We get this one at least once/week. After I yell at them, I usually get it once/day for a week

Seriously though, to these guys I ask the same thing, "Is your family proud of you to be scamming people like this? How could you set this kind of example for your kids? I hope your mother is SOOOOO proud of you doing such an evil thing to people." and then I hang up.

If my DH gets on there, he asks them what they're wearing and if they'd touch themselves. He makes it as skeevy as possible for them.

 

[JanaDee]

This is what block phone number technology was invented for.

Block them and tell everyone.

Blocking them doesn't do a thing. They rarely use the same number twice.

 

[JanaDee]

The IRS will NEVER contact you via telephone or email. They will ALWAYS send a letter through the mail.

Yes, something to ALWAYS remember!

 

[JanaDee]

I got one the other day pretending to be the county sheriff and if I didn't send money I would be arrested. This scam has been reported on our local news.

Jill in CO

I hope you told them you'd leave the door open for them.

 

[ZellyB]

I've gotten the IRS one too. I always think, "who is gullible enough to fall for this?" but I do know that the elderly in particular can get caught up in these. I had an aunt who lost tens of thousands through some kind of phone scam. It was heartbreaking.

 

[BabyTigger99]

I got the call from Windows saying my computer was at risk...at work...and I work for the District Attorney's office!

 

[Ranger111]

I got the call from Windows saying my computer was at risk...at work...and I work for the District Attorney's office!

Should have told them to come in -- in person -- to fix it. And you would provide free room and board for a few years....

 

[jbmom1b2g]

I got that call about a month ago saying I had a warrant out for my arrest, due to taxes, I told them I would wait for the cops to come and take me away. They never called me back.