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Avoid This Telephone Scam

by Brother Carlton 
10/31/16
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It has been reported that people are getting telephone calls from unknown callers who are posing as IRS agents.

As the world and local ecnomies get worse and people find themselves short of money I am sure these scams will increase in number.

For example earlier this year, a Utah woman named Kathy G. experienced one of the most frightening scams you could ever imagine. 

It all began when Kathy received a phone call that sounded legitimate but she noticed the number was from out of state.

The caller told Kathy they were with the IRS, that she was being audited and that she would be arrested within hours if she didn’t take care of her debt immediately. 

To make a payment, the caller instructed Kathy to drive to a nearby Walgreens, purchase a $500 iTunes gift card and give them the number on the back of the card. 

Afterward, Kathy admitted this was the point when the call started to sound suspicious but she was so scared by the threat of jail time that she went along with the caller’s demands. 

After she gave them the gift card number, the caller quickly disconnected and Kathy realized she’d been fooled. 

These kind of IRS scams are increasing. I've heard of at least two or three in the last 6 months from friends of a friend. According to the latest statistics, over $26 million was lost last year to IRS telephone scams. And usually, these scams originate in India. They may or may not have an accent. Most probably do but not necessarily.  (Any accent should be an immediate clue to arouse your suspicion)

Here's how it might start.

You receive a phone call from an unknown number telling you that you owe the IRS money you must pay immediately. The callers may or may not have an American accent and may actually identify themselves as IRS agents. They might say, for example, their name is Special Agent Joe Smith and then they give you a badge number after giving you a phony name. Obviously, this introduction would grab your attention and make you listen very carefully.

It all sounds very authentic but here's the kicker. If these people are truly IRS agents then they already have your social security number.  Never give your ss# to anybody over the phone especially some strange caller you do not know. This is not wise.

Next, the caller may ask you to confirm your name, address, Social Security number, date of birth or other personal details. Don’t be deceived. These callers are just trying to get more personal information from you so they can use it against you.

Many people have had their identities stolen or money or both as a result of this scam.

After the caller has “verified” you’re the person they want to speak with, they’ll inform you that you owe back taxes, usually referring to a specific year. The use of a date adds legitimacy to their claim, and let's be truthful, who can remember the details of their tax filing from several years ago?

Next, the caller will typically quote the tax code, citing Section 101(H), for example. Unless you’re somewhat familiar with tax code, you probably wouldn’t know if that was a real section or not. 

Then they’ll say that if you don’t make a payment right away, you will go to jail, have your bank accounts frozen or your assets, including your house, seized. 

These scare tactics will usually result in a certain number of people going along with this type of scam.

If you agree to make a payment, the caller will tell you to send the money using a wire service like Western Union or some other untraceable method — like an iTunes gift card.

Unfortunately, it's almost impossible for U.S. law enforcement to catch these criminals, because they usually work overseas, where it's even more difficult to follow the money trail. 

If you ever get a call like the one Kathy did do not be intimidated or afraid.  Most likely if you sent the telephone caller any money you will never get your money back.

Remember, the real IRS will always contact you by mail. If you actually do owe back taxes, they will send you multiple notices, including certified mail, which requires a signature upon delivery. 

Most importantly, the IRS would never ask for a specific form of payment like a wire transfer or any type of gift card. The IRS would also never threaten to send the police to your house to arrest you. Pursuing charges against you for back taxes is a long process and it goes through the court system. 

If you’ve already received one (or more) of these calls, you may be wondering how the scammers targeted you in the first place. In this day and age of computer hacking and other forms of identity theft, criminals can get your information in many different ways. Sadly, one group of scammers was allegedly finding their victims by combing through obituaries for names of surviving relatives. 

In the final anaysis remember this.  Even if you do owe the IRS, the U.S. government usually wants a check made out to the U.S. Treasury. The last thing they would ever ask for is an iTunes gift card. 

Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member) and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching. See all his videos on https://www.YouTube.com/user/LAStreetPreacher CONTACT at [email protected]