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IRS scams
11 years ago
So, a heads up on an IRS scam to anyone who might be listening.
If you get a phone call from someone saying anything along the lines of "Hello, we are calling to tell you that we have discovered a discrepancy in your wages reported/your earned income credit over the past X years. The police are going to be at your door in 2 hours to investigate/arrest you." is a scam that was going to at least TRY and target my mother. The problem is, 2 people in the immediate vicinity, my grandma and my aunt, are taxpayers. So if you get a call, here's how you know that this is clearly a scam.
1. The IRS would not call you. they would not bring people to arrest you over the phone. That is level one of scam. you would first have someone sent to you to your door, trying to tell you of it, along with a letter in the mail.
2. a discrepancy in wages or a problem is again, NOT SOMETHING TO CALL ABOUT. they would NEVER tell you that you are going to be arrested over phone, and, if something is really truly wrong would just send police to your door for evading arrest. seriously, how good is it going to be for the police knowing you have 2 hours to prepare for their arrival. think you're still gonna be there if there is a problem?
3. Multiple other reasons that I forget. HOWEVER, CLEARLY SCAM BY NOW. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE.
Now, if they call you, realize that this is a scam designed to make you panic. They will probably say something like listen we just need your credit card number to verify that we do in fact have the right person, to which case, obviously don't give it. Same if they have an account to which you should post things in. It's to scam poorer families out of money they got through confusing tax programs they had help getting and don't fully understand.
How do you go about making them feel stupid?
Ask for their IRS number and name. Tell them that you are going to call and verify it and to hold on for a moment. I guarantee you they will hang up. Don't want to go that far? Just hang straight up on them.
I'm bad at writing warnings. Learn the signs. Tell them no. Hang up. Do whatever. Just, as usual, don't get scammed, and remember, the IRS is usually a hell of a slow moving bureaocracy.
If you get a phone call from someone saying anything along the lines of "Hello, we are calling to tell you that we have discovered a discrepancy in your wages reported/your earned income credit over the past X years. The police are going to be at your door in 2 hours to investigate/arrest you." is a scam that was going to at least TRY and target my mother. The problem is, 2 people in the immediate vicinity, my grandma and my aunt, are taxpayers. So if you get a call, here's how you know that this is clearly a scam.
1. The IRS would not call you. they would not bring people to arrest you over the phone. That is level one of scam. you would first have someone sent to you to your door, trying to tell you of it, along with a letter in the mail.
2. a discrepancy in wages or a problem is again, NOT SOMETHING TO CALL ABOUT. they would NEVER tell you that you are going to be arrested over phone, and, if something is really truly wrong would just send police to your door for evading arrest. seriously, how good is it going to be for the police knowing you have 2 hours to prepare for their arrival. think you're still gonna be there if there is a problem?
3. Multiple other reasons that I forget. HOWEVER, CLEARLY SCAM BY NOW. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE.
Now, if they call you, realize that this is a scam designed to make you panic. They will probably say something like listen we just need your credit card number to verify that we do in fact have the right person, to which case, obviously don't give it. Same if they have an account to which you should post things in. It's to scam poorer families out of money they got through confusing tax programs they had help getting and don't fully understand.
How do you go about making them feel stupid?
Ask for their IRS number and name. Tell them that you are going to call and verify it and to hold on for a moment. I guarantee you they will hang up. Don't want to go that far? Just hang straight up on them.
I'm bad at writing warnings. Learn the signs. Tell them no. Hang up. Do whatever. Just, as usual, don't get scammed, and remember, the IRS is usually a hell of a slow moving bureaocracy.
