News24-680 has been asked to help get the word out about a new scam rippling up and down the 24/680 Corridor. The grifters are impersonating IRS tax fraud personnel – and they are insistent. Don’t be a victim.
We write about the latest cons as they pop up and tax season, it seems, has given rise to a insidious new round of phone scams aimed at separating people from their money. The cons, those who have been contacted say, are insistent and threatening.
“I received a threatening phone call today from a man in Novato trying to get info and some money,” David from Moraga writes. “He asked for my son and then for (my son’s) lawyer which made me immediately suspicious. He then threatened to file (suit) and said he was from the IRS security division. He also had a thick foreign accent.”
Yes, well, that’s because he was probably calling from a phone scam boiler room anywhere from our neighbor to the north to Africa, federal investigators warn. Give in to their demands for “payment” and you can kiss that money goodbye. Victims are being told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. Those who resist are threatened with arrest, fines, suspension of a business or driver’s license, even deportation if the caller feels they are vulnerable to such a threat.
The IRS can be tough, for sure, but they don’t call people at home and demand payment by wire transfer. If you feel you’re being scammed, terminate the call. If you know you’re being scammed but are too smart to fall for it and want to play with the scammer a little bit – gather as much information about his or her location as you can, any phone numbers or addresses without giving out your own. Never, ever give out your bank or credit card information.
What To Do If You’re Called or Conned
- Report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments in your complaint.
- If you owe or think you owe federal taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to verify information.
- For more information, visit www.irs.gov.
