By: Sharon Aron Baron
I received a phone call today from someone telling me that an arrest warrant was underway if I didn’t pay my taxes from 2011. Â I picked up my cellphone and camera and recorded the call and had a little fun with the scammers.
Although it is not legal to record phone conversations without the other party’s consent, I knew this was a scam, and the perpetrators would never likely file charges.
In the call, the person tells me (by name) that I owe over $4,000 in taxes, an arrest warrant is underway, and I’ll go to jail for six months. Â I know I didn’t owe money, and this was also verified later by my accountant, who told me that I was the fourth person to call him today about this scam.
The woman hands the call over to a supervisor who will work it out with me if I am interested in resolving it. He gets on the line, asks if I have the money available, and gives me instructions on how to purchase an IRS Voucher at Winn Dixie. He wants me to use my cell phone so that he can give me step-by-step instructions. This is probably to keep me engaged, so I wouldn’t verify this was a scam with anyone. I insisted I didn’t have a cellphone because there was no way I wanted these people to badger me after today.
On September 4, the IRS issued a strong warning for consumers to guard against sophisticated and aggressive phone scams targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, as reported incidents of this crime continue to rise nationwide.
People have reported a particularly aggressive phone scam in the last several months. Immigrants are frequently targeted. Potential victims are threatened with deportation, arrest, having their utilities shut off, or having their driver’s licenses revoked. Callers are often insulting or hostile – apparently to scare their potential victims.
Potential victims may be told they are entitled to big refunds or owe money that must be paid immediately to the IRS. When unsuccessful the first time, sometimes phone scammers call back trying a new strategy.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure.
The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.
The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords, or similar confidential access information for a credit card, bank, or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov.
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- Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.
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7 comments
Next time you were asking for money that you must owe the money that had pass due or might get caught? Or won any prizes or gifts? Please always ask for name, phone number, name of company and address from the caller. However if caller refuse to gave out the name and the reason why you must pay and or won the prizes that you never heard of. then blow the whistle, and or call the police for being solicitor as a scam and fake caller. Please report to IRS telephone scam if any might call again or bother you for unfair or threaten. Be aware from SCAMMER.
I agree. Just like what I read from Callercenter.com it’s not a bad thing to ask, especially when you’re in doubt. And if the caller turns out to be scammer, spread the warning. Expose the scammer and share the phone number.
the IRS has had a lot of hard drive crashes lately so It cant be them….
Actually, in many jurisdictions, as long as one of the parties involved in the conversation is aware of it, it’s totally legal to record the conversation. The other person doesn’t have to give approval. This could be a phone call, or a face-to-face conversation,
Damn:
The highlighted link in the text above “record phone conversations” confirms what I wrote. And federal law ALLOWS only-one-party consent, and that usually trumps state and local law. Which means the other party doesn’t have to give consent.
But more important:
Public officials are public figures, and because of this, they can’t file slander cases against those who accuse them of wrongdoing, or other defects. They can only respond as a public official.
For example, I can accuse Vignola, right here, as being a spineless faggot who went into his daddy’s auto collision business because he couldn’t accomplish anything on his own…
I can say that he has three testicles and a 2-inch penis…
I can say that he sucks p*nis and LOVES it…
And I can say that he was arrested for battery against his wife
I once gave a scammer the following before he/she had a chance to speak: “Yeah, it’s done. But there’s blood all over the place and I gotta get outa here. I contact you later for my money.” Then I hung up.
I have been receiving the same call two to three times per day from 301-968-7596 saying they are the IRS!