We get a lot of questions from clients about inquiries from
IRS. Seems that when someone gets a
letter or notice from our favorite federal agency most people instinctively hit
the panic button. Thieves have discovered America’s paranoia over the IRS and
have learned a new trick to capitalize on it, apparently with some success. The
scam goes like this:
You will get a series of phone calls from someone claiming
to be with the IRS. He tells you that you owe some amount, that it is long past
due, and that he is here to help you resolve the matter. He will say that he is
willing to work with you but if you do not work with him you will face serious
consequences, including jail. He may even say that IRS agents are on their way
to your home, or that this is your last chance to take care of the matter. If
you do not answer the phone they leave messages with what appears to be a local
call back number.
This is happening a lot here in So. Cal, but apparently it
hasn’t caught on as much in other parts of the country yet. While I am getting
calls from clients once a week over this, my colleagues in other cities have
not even heard of it. Strange, because the callers usually have foreign accents
and I assume they are calling in from outside the US, despite the local appearance
of the source numbers.
Nobody is immune from this. My unlisted and blocked home phone
number is on the national “Do not call” list, and I even got these calls at
home. They left some very threatening messages!
To clarify, IRS will NEVER NEVER NEVER contact you by phone (or
email) to initiate any kind of collection effort. If you owe them any money you
will have received many letters explaining how much you owe before collection
efforts get serious. In the rare event of a phone call from them it will only
be after you have contacted them by phone and voluntarily given them your
number. IRS never contacts taxpayers by email for collection purposes, period.
So, if you get one (or more) of these calls what do you do?
You can take the number down and report it to the Phone Company, IRS, and
police, but realistically, you are probably wasting your time as they get
thousands of these complaints. Best suggestion is to ignore them and they
will stop. Whatever you do, do not give them any information about you at
all. They have your phone number, but that’s it. They have no access to
anything else unless you give it to them, so don’t.
And if you are really feeling belligerent, you could have a
bit of fun with it. Ask them what it’s like to live in Mumbai, or question
their mother’s virtue. Use your
imagination!
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