IRS Phone Scam

[gm280]

Just a little heads up for those of you that haven't heard about this before. I just today received a phone message that stated that the IRS has issued a lawsuit against me and I should call 1-832-275-5841 immediately. Obviously I didn't call them but instead run that number via Google search and WALA a huge national IRS scam that hopes folks will get excited and call them back. Then they will tell you that unless you give them your Social Security Number and a valid Bank Account Number that the suit will be issued. And sadly some elderly folks and others that are seriously worried actually give them such info, and their bank accounts are cleared out in short order. So just a head up for everybody. I'm sure you all are more cautious then that, but you never know. I truly hate such folks preying on others and some get away with it too. Oh, and I also called our local country Sheriff's office to report it too, via our local news broadcast request. :cold: :nono:

 

[bassman284]

Yep, that scam must work because they keep running it. Apparently the old Nigerian prince scam still works even though you would think that everybody has heard of it by now.

 

[lncoop]

They kept leaving me messages until my curiosity finally got the better of me and I called them back. "Thank you for calling IRS Enforcement Officer Kevin speaking" was the greeting I received in a very thick Indian or Pakistani accent. I started laughing and could not stop. That clown was laughing too eventually, but when the laughter finally subsided I told him I'd already notified the authorities and to stop calling. I hung up as he was shouting "F*** you M**********R but they haven't called any more. I didn't see any harm in calling as they already had my number and I found the whole thing ridiculous and funny, but it makes me sick to know they're able to prey successfully on the elderly and other vulnerable folks. They need to be incarcerated with the vilest criminals.

 

[garbageguy]

I told him I'd already notified the authorities and to stop calling.

Maybe someone will do something similar but tell them they have been on the phone just long enough for the authorities to locate them, and they are on their way.

 

[muskyfins]

Yep, that scam must work because they keep running it. Apparently the old Nigerian prince scam still works even though you would think that everybody has heard of it by now.

What do you mean scam? I'm expecting the deposit any day. I mean I understand the prince needs to move his money to my accounts so he can move his family out of war torn Africa. Who could blame him? I'm just lucky out of millions of people he randomly found my email and is willing to pay so handsomely. :wacko: :der:

 

[drrpm]

I got that message on my answering machine too. They called 3 or 4 times but since I know that's not how the IRS works it was just a minor aggravation. It seems like the only calls I get on my landline are from scammers and telemarketers.

 

[boatman37]

i got that call a couple weeks ago.

i live near pittsburgh. my step-son is a police officer. he left my mother-in-laws house one morning and about an hour later she got a call from 'canadian police' saying her grandson had been arrested in canada and needed her to send bail money. seems he must have drove about 200 mph to get there that quick...lol

 

[tpenfield]

Yea, I got a few calls like that a while ago . . . IRS, Lawyers, etc. same scam lines. Forgot to call them back

 

[bassman284]

What do you mean scam? I'm expecting the deposit any day. I mean I understand the prince needs to move his money to my accounts so he can move his family out of war torn Africa. Who could blame him? I'm just lucky out of millions of people he randomly found my email and is willing to pay so handsomely. :wacko: :der:

Oh well yeah, I mean your prince is probably legit. But some aren't.

 

[sphelps]

We got the same call a while back .. I was outside working and my wife came out all worried .. She said the IRS called and said if we didn't send them money the cops would be there in 45mins to arrest us . :lol:
She told them that we don't have any money to send . I had heard of the scam and told her about it .. Thankfully she was smart enough not to give out any info ...

 

[bruceb58]

That scam has been around for years.

 

[aspeck]

Yeah, I have gotten that IRS call also. As for the African Prince, well, I ask if I can meet with them in person, since I go to Ghana 2 times a year. I try to set up a meeting place that is equ-distant from them and me. I through out enough information to let them know I know what I am talking about, and it is fun to hear them backtracking and coming up with reasons that we cannot meet. Did something similar with the IRS scammer. I told them I wanted to see the error and they needed to explain exactly what was wrong and go ahead and issue the warrant.

I do like to mess with scammers. The Indian guy from Windows technical support that keeps calling is a hoot. My daughter starts laughing hysterically because I start talking with my best Indian accent and thank them for being "willing to come and clean my windows. My wife refuses to clean them and they are so dirty I cannot see out of the house. Oh, computer, no, I don't have one, but my windows are very dirty. When are you coming to clean my windows, I will have milk and cookies for you ..."

I either get hysterical laughter from the other end, or swore at, but either way, I am having fun. If they are going to take up my time, I am going to have some fun with it!

 

[gm280]

aspeck, Another thing I use to do was pick up the phone when telemarketers called and lay it down on the end table. They go through their entire spill and then realize you are not there. but they can hear the TV in the background and keep talking until they realize you are not listening to them. Then the phone does that off the hook sound and I hang it up. But it does use up their time and that is a good thing too. :smile:

 

[Volphin]

THIS is why I ditched the landline 15 years ago. LOL

Every so often I get one on my cell. I usually give them a terse and stern warning about calling FBI owned lines, and demand that they remove the number from their lists. Shuts them up pretty quick. I figure, they are lying to me, so why not screw with them a bit.

 

[muskyfins]

My two favorite ones--

I get a call years ago asking for Joe (my son) at about 7 pm. He was about 3 or 4 years old at the time. I tell the lady "no, you can't speak to him, what do you need?" So she gets all belligerent about she can't discuss the matter with me and demands to know why she can't speak to him, blah blah blah. So, I called Joe into the kitchen and handed him the phone.........little kid fast talking "Hello, hello, who is this?, grandma is that you?" It might not seem so in writing, but it was freaking hilarious....ound:

Just a few years ago, my brother and sister in law were over for pizza night and we had been drinking when the phone rings. It was a cable company or phone service or whatever, but they had a great deal for me. So I asked all kinds of questions-did they need a deposit? how many TV's were included?, how much extra for the sports package? For about 20 minutes I kept them on the line. So I told them, I'm not really sure, maybe they should explain it to my brother to help me make a decision. Well he went through the same litany. Probably had them on the line for more than a half hour and he finally says "it's not my house, how should I know what to do" and hangs up. We still laugh about that one.

 

[NYBo]

I do like to mess with scammers. The Indian guy from Windows technical support that keeps calling is a hoot. My daughter starts laughing hysterically because I start talking with my best Indian accent and thank them for being "willing to come and clean my windows. My wife refuses to clean them and they are so dirty I cannot see out of the house. Oh, computer, no, I don't have one, but my windows are very dirty. When are you coming to clean my windows, I will have milk and cookies for you ..."!

:laugh::clap2::high5:

 

[Tnstratofam]

Years ago I would answer numbers I didn't recognize with " Justice Leage Auaman Speaking ". After a short pause people would either laugh, hang up or start into their speel. If they started into their speel I would let them cary on a bit and then interupt them and say " Look I'm just a mid level superhero you're gonna half to call back when Superman or Batman are here. They're in charge of all Justice League business matters. " Then hang up. I've always wondered how peole on the other end took that.


By the way if you've never heard it check out comedian Tom Mabe's call with a telemarketer from Denver. It's hillarious.

 

[aspeck]

By the way if you've never heard it check out comedian Tom Mabe's call with a telemarketer from Denver. It's hillarious.

Love that call ... have tried to replicate it a few times. Always a fun time, but never as good as the original ...

 

[bassman284]

This subject came up on another forum where I'm a member and went off into a number of posts about the old grandparents being called to send money to the grandson in trouble in another country. Scary how often that works. Interesting that several were caught by Western Union employees recognizing the scam. Why? Because they see it several times a week.