Received crazy phone call

[Debbie Asher]

Just got back from 3 months out on the road, had a phone call message at home telling me that this is the second time trying to get a hold of me and if I don't call back I will be in contempt of court and a warrant will be out for my arrest. So I call the number to find out what was happening they state they are from the legal dept and I haven't paid my 2011 taxes and the court is issuing a warrant for my arrest. So I informed him he was crazy and for him to go back to the courts because I don't owe anything. So I call the Sheriff dept to see if they have a warrant out for me and they tell me to call the FBI so I call and they tell me to call the Federal Trade Commun. who is handle these scam calls. So everyone be careful out there.

[racerjoe]

I don't even pick up the phone anymore if I don't recognize the number. I would not have called them back either. Sometimes they do it to see if it is a live number,and if it is they sell it to other scammers.I set my voice mail to 7 rings, they hang up after about 3 or 4 rings.

[bigskyjimmy]

Same here if I do not recognize the number they are out ,and if it was the IRS they would of sent you ALOT of certified letters before it got to arrest warrant stage

[BB_TX]

Similar stories been in the local paper around here recently. Same basic story line.

In addition, there have been people showing up at people's doors claiming to be water company/electric company/gas company/etc wanting access to people's homes to "make sure there were no problems in their houses".

Like others, I use caller ID and if I don't recognize the name or number I do not answer. They can leave a message if they are legitimate. If they start to leave a message and I recognize who it is, then I will pick up the phone. And I am sure not going to let someone who just shows up at my door to come inside without showing an ID and letting me call his company first.

[GregN]

There is also one going around through e-mail. I did not even open it up, to see what it is about.

[DQDick]

Sad, but that's what things have come to now days. In the past you had to at least confront someone you intended to rob.

[boat391]

Debbie I just start asking them question like full name then spell it then name of company then spell it then employee I'd # then repeat it then I tell them this call is being recorded. Then I tell them I have all the info I need to sue the c- ap out them they alway hang up I guess I don't play well with others . Good luck this works of me every time.....

[7.3Ford]

Got a call yesterday and voice mail today on my work phone. Claimed to be from IRS and I was to call immediately. Hung and erased voice mail. The number they called has never been used when filling taxes, and it they want me they know where I live.

[CATCRAW]

It's been going on in my town as well according to the news. The twist is a warrant for not showing up for Jury Duty and pay a fine.

[1retired06]

We have also gotten a very realistic email from Wells Fargo Bank indicating an account problem and asking for info. Scam, of course, but remarkable how well they cloned the Well Fargo web page. Looked so real I called the bank, and of course it was BS. Like everybody else we use an answering machine and have caller ID, and generally use the machine as a filter. Almost all of the time, no message left.

[Mark N.]

You will NEVER be contacted by phone by the IRS or the courts, or any law enforcement agency for serious matters. Period. NEVER. It is all done by mail, usually certified mail it it's serious. The IRS is constantly warning people of this type of scam.
Nobody should EVER call anyone back concerning such a message. If I don't recognize a number coming over my phone, it doesn't get answered. It goes to voicemail. Then, after listening, it just gets deleted.
Same with emails. Banks, DO NOT ever contact you asking you to login to verify things.

[waynemoore]

Ok 21 Years in the tax business and I am here to tell you the IRS will NEVER call or email you on the initial contact. The contact will come via letter.

[waynemoore]

This is a bit long but I just got this on my email as I subscribe to the IRS Pro hot line. Just for your information.

Scam Phone Calls Continue; IRS Identifies Five Easy Ways to Spot Suspicious Calls
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert today providing taxpayers with additional tips to protect themselves from telephone scam artists calling and pretending to be with the IRS.
These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request.
“These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake-down calls are not how we do business.”
The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never:

1. Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.
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.
5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
• If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your complaint.
Remember, too, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.
Additional information about tax scams are available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube http://youtu.be/UHlxTX4rTRU?list=PL2A3E7A9BD8A8D41D. and Tumblr http://internalrevenueservice.tumblr.com where people can search “scam” to find all the scam-related posts.