A different phone scam

[Rick Potter]

It just started recently, and I have gotten three or four phone messages. They say they are from the IRS, and that I owe penalties, which I have not paid. The debt has gone to collection department, with no payment, and I am in danger of being arrested. I have to call them back immediately, and they suggest I retain an attorney, because they will be turning the matter over to local law enforcement for my arrest.

Each time the message is a bit stronger and more threatening. Never had calls like this before.

Rick Potter

PS: No, I do not owe any money to the IRS.

[David Weaver]

This scam has made news for about a year. Apparently it's getting people to actually pay money on a regular basis, which is a big problem in terms of getting it to go away.

Next time tell them you know they're not the real IRS because the real IRS is already auditing you, see what they say.

Either that or tell them that your battery is about to die, but you need to go to another phone, and ask if they'll give you their phone number. Then give their number to the IRS treasury inspector general.

I hope they prosecute these people and then add extra charges for elder abuse, because you know who usually gets taken on these scams...

[Kevin Bourque]

Send the payment to me. I will take care of everything for you.:D

[Wade Lippman]

I have never had a communication from the IRS that wasn't proceeded by something in writing with a phone number and case number first. In fact, I don't think they have ever called except to return my phone call.

Their persistence is admirable! What have you said when they called that didn't discourage them?

[Rick Potter]

I have never talked to them in person, it is always a message giving me a number to call. I get a lot of dead calls and non-messages on my answering machine. We let most everything on the home phone go to the machine.

Rick P

[Jim Becker]

The first thing I do when I get a call like that is...block the number with nomorobo and if needed, directly with VZ. You see, I happen to be one of the folks that provide the 'gubment with the technology they use to make "real" calls and they never do things like these scammers. You can pretty much be sure that any call like that out of the blue is a scam. If it were real, you would have already known about it from other means of provable communication. Wade has already mentioned that.

[David Weaver]

I have sometimes communication with the IRS, and I have never noticed them to initiate any contact by phone unless I request it first. And I guess that's me initiating it.

If they initiate contact, it's always in writing.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Ah the famous IRS call, I made the mistake of answering the phone for a number which caller ID didn't resolve. It was some guy from India with the thickest accent that claimed he was from H&R Block calling for the IRS, because we didn't pay our taxes, yeah right.. I will say one thing for the SCAM, they were persistent, never answered the phone with that caller number, finally had to just block the number..

As other posters have mentioned, the IRS has other means to initiate dialog, usually via Registered US mail, not via some guy in a boiler room in India..

[Frederick Skelly]

I have sometimes communication with the IRS, and I have never noticed them to initiate any contact by phone unless I request it first. And I guess that's me initiating it.

If they initiate contact, it's always in writing.

Same here. Always in writing.