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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 18, 2015 - 01:39pm PT
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Got a few calls this AM from someone impersonating as as IRS agent.
Indian or Pakistani.
Said the OC sheriffs were coming to arrest me for Tax Fraud. Said I owed $85k and would spend 50 days in jail.
Fuking bad way to start the day.
Just hang up if you get one of these calls.
Serious warning.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 18, 2015 - 01:43pm PT
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Hang up? Are you kidding? The one I got was great. The dood had a Russian
or Armenian accent and said his name was 'Steve Martin'! BwaHaHaHaHaHa!
I told him I'd meet him at 140 E Lime Ave (Monrovia PD) with his check.
He said he only took credit cards. I said, "since when do wild and crazy
guys only take plastic?" I don't think he got it.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 18, 2015 - 01:44pm PT
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There have been several similar scams around. I wonder if these guys realize that county sheriffs and city police don't enforce IRS issues.
John
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2015 - 01:51pm PT
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Yeah, being notified you are about to be arrested and put in the hoosgow is unsettling. They want financial/tax info. Spent the last three hours dealing with the bank and my ex work fundage people to make sure my assets are secure. Not fun.
edit: Called it in to the local sheriffs. Gave them the phone number 315- 613- 2131.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Dec 18, 2015 - 01:55pm PT
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My sister's house has been getting those calls for months now...very persistently. Most are robo-calls, saying they are the IRS and are coming to arrest you for back taxes.
Really freaked out my brother-in-law...
No need, though. Think about it: the IRS actually calling you? Let alone come to your house?
Edit: It's kinda like those email phishing scams where your bank 'sends' you an email saying it's time to reset your password. Banks will never contact you this way. However, my ex-wife did not know of such things, and got phished for $800....saying her bank account had been 'hacked'. Umm, no. That would be called phishing.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:02pm PT
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Really freaked out my brother-in-law...
It's amazing how few people have any clue as to how the IRS works, or doesn't
as the case may be. When you do want to get ahold of them, fuggetaboutit!
Now I could see me mum getting freaked out because she already fell for the
friend's son being in trouble in the Dominican Republic scam. It ended with a
hearty LOL only because somebody at Western Union has a brain and didn't
actually send her money even though she went to their office and plunked
down cash! That ain't gonna happen again cause I took her car keys away.
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Gary
Social climber
Where in the hell is Major Kong?
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:02pm PT
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^^ A buddy would ask his g/f, "Where are the keys?" (or whatever else it was he'd lost) Her reply was, "If they were up your a*# you'd know where they're at."
Huh? Never figured that one out, but I started using it.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2015 - 02:03pm PT
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I'm not an idiot but partially fell for this one. My alarms were going off but the idea of being thrown in jail just freaked me out. I've been in handcuffs two times; don't want to relive that experience.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:04pm PT
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"You're telling me your ancestors are English, but you can barely speak English?" was my question to some heavily-accented phone hustler when he told me his last name was "Smith".
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:08pm PT
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They are bullsh#t. So are the strangely worded voice mail messages that say "IRS is" (not "the" IRS) going to sue you for back taxes.
I've been getting those messages for a while. They must be robo-calling because I'm on every no-call list there is for solicitors.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:44pm PT
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Got one of those calls a few months ago.
The guy did sound like he was calling from India, but I got a little worried.
I heard a whole phone bank of callers in the background. I called my local FBI office the next day, and they were interested in the phone number. The guy said that it is a big scam and unfortunately people are falling for it.
I assumed it was mostly senior citizen types getting scammed, but the FBI agent said that surprisingly, it's the younger well educated types, Doctors, lawyers etc.
I wish that I had told the guy from India that my phone was tapped etc, but the FBI agent said that the local officials in India are making NO effort to stop this type of scam.
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Chewybacca
Trad climber
Kelly Morgan, Whitefish MT
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:47pm PT
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From my understanding the IRS will not contact people by phone for an issue like this, they use snail mail.
If a caller claims to be from the IRS ask them which office they are working from and the name of their supervisor. If they are from the IRS they will not have a problem answering these question.
It is a good idea to contact the IRS if somebody tries to scam you. Just might save someone else from being a victim of these scambags.
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Dec 18, 2015 - 02:58pm PT
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Kind of along the same line-- When I used to get telemarketing calls on my land line I would listen to their spray and then ask "so are you a telemarker?" They would always reply "yes". Then I would say "well,how was it today?" Long pause, followed by my 'click'.
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Portland Oregon
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Dec 18, 2015 - 03:00pm PT
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50 days in jail for $85k?
Sign me up.
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
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Dec 18, 2015 - 03:22pm PT
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I've gotten several.
I threatened to hunt him down and slash his throat.
I'm not sure why I felt so violent but I did.
The one I got the other day I did the "yeah yeah yeah how much do I owe you this time" and his response was "it'll be coming in the mail". They are now actually giving out the IRS phone number when I asked where I could call "Alex" back! There was no such extension.
Ha ha
Susan
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired Climber
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Dec 18, 2015 - 03:25pm PT
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I got one the other day. Guy was from India. I told I would meet him at the local 7-11.
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toejahm
Trad climber
Chatsworth, CA
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Dec 18, 2015 - 03:28pm PT
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The problem is they go after the elderly too. my father's eighty seven and gets more and more of these types of BS calls and emails.
p.s. my caller just the other day was named clint eastwood! Damn it's hard not to laugh outright, and to be honest playing along was pretty entertaining.
Peace,
KR
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Dec 18, 2015 - 03:44pm PT
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That's the nice thing about having an answering machine.
I screen calls, and if nobody talks to the machine, I don't
pick it up. I get lots of calls, but few takers. . .
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
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Dec 18, 2015 - 03:54pm PT
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Chewybacca is right. The IRS never initiates contact through the phone. They always send you a letter by snail mail and expect you to reply that way also. They're a government bureaucracy so they never move fast and you have numerous appeals.
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