Warning IRS Scam. Scared the hell out of me

I have a pile of fake cashiers checks that scammers have wasted their time mailing to me. Whenever one of these idiots tries to waste my time I try to waste as much of their time and their money as I can.
 
Ok, so I don't understand, where does the scam come in? They try to scare you then convince you to mail them a check or give them your checking account number?
 
I got this call one - I asked them - how do you know where I am? And where I'm gonna be in 20 minutes? I'm actually standing in my bank gettng money - what a coincidence - which bank did you seize the money from?

They hang up - once they know you're not that stupid they move on to the next mark.

Its a variation of the "Its the court clerk calling, you did not pay a citation and bench warrant will be issued for your arrest - your local police will be notified blah blah blah."

OR : "highm this is mumble mumble your grandson - I'm in trouble and I'm scared - you gotta help me grandma. "

my idiot brain dead mother in law almost fell for this one last week. she calls me - "Joe, there is a probelm with my grandson!" Which one? "uh, who is this again?"
 
comanchepilot said:
I got this call one - I asked them - how do you know where I am? And where I'm gonna be in 20 minutes? I'm actually standing in my bank gettng money - what a coincidence - which bank did you seize the money from?

They hang up - once they know you're not that stupid they move on to the next mark.

Its a variation of the "Its the court clerk calling, you did not pay a citation and bench warrant will be issued for your arrest - your local police will be notified blah blah blah."

OR : "highm this is mumble mumble your grandson - I'm in trouble and I'm scared - you gotta help me grandma. "

my idiot brain dead mother in law almost fell for this one last week. she calls me - "Joe, there is a probelm with my grandson!" Which one? "uh, who is this again?"
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I like these.
 
Last spring, I filled out state and federal tax returns with help from my CPA.

This week, the CPA called with some BS story that I was going to have to fill out all the same forms I have already filled out all over again, and that additional taxes were owing to the feds and state, and I'd have to pay him for his 'help' doing it! He even claimed that if I didn't do it in the next 90 days, I'd wind up with yet more owing in penalties or some such scare tactic.

Clearly, he thinks I'm an idiot. I told him to get f'ed and hung up.
 
If the IRS really thinks you did something criminal, the first time you find out is when you get home and gentlemen in windbreakers with 'IRS-CI' stenciled on them are carrying boxes with your records into a rented van.

If they just think you didn't pay enough taxes, you get a letter asking for information, and then the same letter again, and again, and then your accountant replies telling them that they have their head in their arse, and you get the same letter again, and then you get a letter that says they received your reply, and then you get that original letter again, and then you get that letter again that they received your reply, and then you get that letter again and then you get a letter that review has been closed and that no additional tax is due, and then you get the original letter again. Takes about 9 months.
 
weilke said:
If they just think you didn't pay enough taxes, you get a letter asking for information, and then the same letter again, and again, and then your accountant replies telling them that they have their head in their arse, and you get the same letter again, and then you get a letter that says they received your reply, and then you get that original letter again, and then you get that letter again that they received your reply, and then you get that letter again and then you get a letter that review has been closed and that no additional tax is due, and then you get the original letter again. Takes about 9 months.
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BTDT huh? Its so funny -thats exactly how it goes.
 
LDJones said:
Huh? You think they may want SixPC for their love slave? :dunno:
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If there was going to be a story where the IRS kidnaps someone to be a love slave, I could see that happening to me.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
If there was going to be a story where the IRS kidnaps someone to be a love slave, I could see that happening to me.
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If there was a time where the IRS would kidnap people as love slaves it would have been when they were running the Mustang Ranch in Sparks.:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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I've gotten real IRS letters in the past so I know what they look like. Thing that looks like it was printed with an old epson dot matrix printer. When my broker transferred from Ameriprise to an independent brokerage, Ameriprise reported my entire holdings as SOLD with a zero basis. The IRS wanted over a million dollars. Took me some 'splainin.
 
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Received similar call yesterday... Right phone number wrong name and info... It's a shame cause I was all ready to give them my credit info to settle this tax issue... Major fail on their part
 
My boss got a call from one of these clowns. He just put his wife on the phone...she is a CPA and runs her own accounting business. She had a ball with the guy. Kept him on the phone wasting his time. She sat there watching TV and responded just enough to keep him going.
 
I know a fellow who was badly burned by one of these. He's a very successful businessman, but from a country where stuff like the threatened consequences (and much worse) happen all the time. It is heartbreaking.
 
From now on when anyone asks who's your attorney?

Sianis & Bartman
1060 W. Addison
Chicago, IL 60613

Bonus points for getting all 3 references
 
EdFred said:
From now on when anyone asks who's your attorney?

Sianis & Bartman
1060 W. Addison
Chicago, IL 60613

Bonus points for getting all 3 references
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I got Wrigley Field from Blues Brothers, not the names.
 
Just remember - if any law enforcement agency has an arrest warrant - Probably wouldn't expect a "head's up"... "hey were on our way to pick you up..."... not gonna happen.. They like the element of surprise - put's officers at less risk - people do really stupid things trying to evade arrest... just sayin

But I had a similar scam last year happen - told them to give me a valid number to return the call on and that was the end of it.
 
weilke said:
If the IRS really thinks you did something criminal, the first time you find out is when you get home and gentlemen in windbreakers with 'IRS-CI' stenciled on them are carrying boxes with your records into a rented van.
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Not always. At least sometimes they will show up at your desk at work.
 
Your first communication with the IRS will always be a letter. Arresting people is counter productive to their real goal..getting your money.
 
flyingron said:
Your first communication with the IRS will always be a letter. Arresting people is counter productive to their real goal..getting your money.
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Unless they had a guy in the office who made a deal on his $100k tax debt against the info of where $20MM in coke cash was stashed with some product. Then IRS jackets will be the first through the door to claim the prize, no letter will be sent.;)
 
Oh, and the IRS will always arrest you themselves, or possibly send someone to detain you. Locals cannot arrest you on Federal matters (*unless they're deputized as part of a task force), but the can detain you to wait for the Feds to arrive.
 
EdFred said:
Yeah, they do. Know a guy (deceased now) that went through a huge huge huge ordeal with them. They basically employed gestapo tactics.
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First contact won't be by phone.

I googled IRS Scam, and found this:
Note that the IRS will never: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
​
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts
 
This happened to a work colleague a few weeks ago. Instead of hanging up on the prankster, he tried to keep him on the line as long as possible, asking all kinds of questions. The prankster kept telling him he'd have to consult with his manager. Finally the prankster hung up. It was quite funny. Since then, my colleague has been calling the prankster back every few days to question him in an attempt to gather intel with each phone call. The prankster always tries to play professional, but always ends up hanging up. It's good fun. Sometimes, the guys at the office sit around the phone on speaker and listen to the guy stutter and search for bull crap to say. I gotta say, it feels good to harass the harasser. The number is a D.C. area code, and the dude on the other end sounds like an Arab, or something similar.
 
OkieFlyer said:
This happened to a work colleague a few weeks ago. Instead of hanging up on the prankster, he tried to keep him on the line as long as possible, asking all kinds of questions. The prankster kept telling him he'd have to consult with his manager. Finally the prankster hung up. It was quite funny. Since then, my colleague has been calling the prankster back every few days to question him in an attempt to gather intel with each phone call. The prankster always tries to play professional, but always ends up hanging up. It's good fun. Sometimes, the guys at the office sit around the phone on speaker and listen to the guy stutter and search for bull crap to say. I gotta say, it feels good to harass the harasser. The number is a D.C. area code, and the dude on the other end sounds like an Arab, or something similar.
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Pass on the number and we'll all play.
 
Like Tim, I work for Treasury also - actually IRS, doing international tax investigations. (...and they all moved away from me on the bench...)

Can't wait to get one of these calls myself.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Not always. At least sometimes they will show up at your desk at work.
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Or that. But they won't give you a threatening phonecall before.

If it is an audit or revenue investigation, they send you a letter and either announce that they want to send someone or request a written reply.

If it is a criminal investigation, they dont send you a letter or give you a phonecall. They obtain warrants and seize whatever records required. That could be at home, at work, or wherever they suspect the records are.
 
I was wondering and wondering about the lawyer aspect and I think I figured it out. What they are doing is phishing for lawyers that will work with them for a cut.
 
Henning said:
I was wondering and wondering about the lawyer aspect and I think I figured it out. What they are doing is phishing for lawyers that will work with them for a cut.
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There are probably dumb lawyers that'll just advise their client to cut a check or money transfer. Just because someone is a lawyer doesn't make them immune to this sort of thing.

You work enough people and lawyers and you'll find a fool.
 
Correction to my original story. The first call was from D.C. After a week or two, that number was cancelled. Then a prankster called from a NYC number, but it sounds like the same cat, or at least someone with the same accent.

(347)828-9783

Have at it!

Hopefully it's not cancelled yet.
 
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Reiterates-Warning-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam

Every tax professional hears this story on a regular basis. The scammers are good. Often they use public records of tax liens to target victims, and also they like to call people over 70.

The reason he asked for you for your attorney's name is because he expects you to say you don't have one, at which point he would have said 'too bad, because the only way for you to stay out jail is pay your taxes right now!'.
 
JimNtexas said:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Reiterates-Warning-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam

Every tax professional hears this story on a regular basis. The scammers are good. Often they use public records of tax liens to target victims, and also they like to call people over 70.

The reason he asked for you for your attorney's name is because he expects you to say you don't have one, at which point he would have said 'too bad, because the only way for you to stay out jail is pay your taxes right now!'.
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Thank you for connecting the dots. I, for one, couldn't figure out why they'd ask for a lawyers name. Your explanation makes sense. Plus, it's an easy filter...

...I need to get an attorney.
 
murphey said:
My response?

" I know you are in Pakistan [or India or other] and using VOIP on a phone in Dallas (it was last time I got one of these calls) hence I will be sending my recording of this phone call to the FBI & the US State Dept, who will contact the corresponding agencies in your country. We'll see how you like dealing with the ISI [or other country agency]."

(*evil laugh*)
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Mostly a wasted evil laugh. We don't extradite prank callers and they don't even scratch the surface of the $10K minimum needed to even get the FBI to take a report nowadays.

(Was involved in searching for evidence of mass credit card theft. Can't talk about the details, my role was to hunt through logs for times when a person was at a specific computer is all Agent we chatted with was doing the report legwork, and said even at $100K plus in fraud, he'd get about an hour to look into it, before moving on to the next one. Generally, he shared that the fraud needs to be over $1M and prove-able, to get a single Agent's time for more than a day. Our little credit card number stealer was easy pickings but he'd easily document it well enough to pursue prosecution in an hour and move on. After that it was up to the company that was defrauded by their own employee to decide if they wanted to hire the lawyers to go to court for damages and the brass above him whether criminal charges would even be filed.)

The scammers also often have their home country officials bribed off. They're not stupid. They really seriously don't care what you say you're going to do to them. They just want off the phone to hit up the next possible sucker.

That you're ranting just means you're a bad candidate for further calls. Lots of suckers out there who think IRS would call to collect. In the bulk they do these scams in, it only takes one in 50 to 1 in 100 falling for it to make it profitable. (Same thing with even lower ratios in email phishing and spam.). They're just banking on the bell curve being right, and it is.

An exchange student I met a few years ago, stated flatly that her goal upon going home after high school was to work for a cold calling phishing company that "paid well", in her home country. She laughed when we asked if that was moral or illegal back home. Said nobody cares. The call centers mean work and money for the town she came from, and public officials look the other way, as long as the taxes or bribes are paid up. If a scammer falls on hard times, that's when they step in, the building is empty for a month, and a new scammer rents out the ready to go facility after the bribes are made again. Entire call centers full of people willing to scam for a living. No big deal there.

All of the above is the result of free and nearly free long-distance calling. When it cost a lot of money to call someone in another country, there was a balance sheet barrier to even attempting this type of scam on all but the wealthiest. You couldn't pay the phone bill without numerous "whales" getting scammed. Even calling state to state was too expensive long ago.

There were ways around the L/D rates long ago, and we knew back when I did product support for channel banks, who was using them to get around Ma Bell minute by minute charges. InterState and IntraState (technically InterLATA and IntraLATA -- not always at State boundaries) calls, were a lot more expensive than an InterLATA T1 circuit (or ten), depending on volume, with cheap channel banks back to backed and measured business phone lines inside the LATA of interest to the scammer, paid for themselves very quickly.

The unintended consequence of telephone call competition and price lowering to commodity levels-- and then to free -- has made answering the phone worth about exactly what we pay for it now.

The carrier gets paid by the bulk users including the scammers now, not the end customer. They also get paid handsomely for wiretap circuits. They don't get paid by the end user enough to maintain the network, usually.

What the end user consumer now pays for is only the upkeep and build out of the so-called "last mile". That's all you're really paying for in the carrier's overall budget.
 
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