I recently received an email from a tax client with a very serious tax problem that my tax law firm has been handling. My tax client was very concerned that the Internal Revenue Service left him a threating message on his home telephone number. The telephone number that my client was to call back to speak with the IRS was 844-271-8465. Since my client actually has a serious tax problem, and since he was smart enough to hire a tax attorney to fight for IRS tax relief, he rightfully contacted me. Based on the stage of his tax problem, he wouldn’t be receiving any calls from IRS collections.
I told him that it was likely a scam. He was adamant that it was not. He said that he called the number and it was definitely IRS collections and he hung up immediately. Out of curiosity I called the number. When calling, the number did sound like the IRS collection line to the untrained ear. The call started with a “welcome to the IRS” prompt. “Push one for a business issue, two for a personal issue” or something of the like. The recording sounded like it was actually recorded from a phone calling the Internal Revenue Service. Then, the phone went immediately to a person without me needing to push a button. Because I didn’t have to wait an hour or two to speak with anyone, this was a huge red flag that this was not an IRS number.
The person who answered my call had a very thick accent, didn’t introduce themselves or provide me with a federal identification number. The person who answered the phone instantly raised his voice and told me that I owed the IRS and I had to pay him. I found this laughable because I was calling from a blocked telephone number and I didn’t tell him who I was. I asked him for his name, identification number and what Internal Revenue Service collection unit he was in. He fumbled a bit and said, “um … you can call me ‘Jack’”. He also told me that he didn’t have to provide me with his identification number and again demanded a payment.
Based on the absurdity of this joker, I’m surprised that anyone would be duped by this scam. But, apparently some people are indeed being scammed. According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, they are aware of nearly 3,000 victims who have collectively paid over $14 million as a result of this type of IRS scam.
The IRS has been warning of such scams for the past couple years now. I think I have had a call or two myself, between other scams to update my computer, or lend money to a Nigerian prince. But this is the first scam that I’ve experienced where the voice prompts for the number imitates the actual Internal Revenue Service collection number voice prompt. I’m sure it’s been going on for a while as the IRS reports that the caller identification for these numbers also reveal that the number belongs to the Internal Revenue Service or other law enforcement.
These scammers may be scary and persuasive if you, like my tax client, actually have a legitimate IRS tax matter you are trying to resolve. However, if you know that you don’t have tax issues you should not be swayed by these scammer’s tactics. If you’re not sure if you have tax problems, this may be the time to confirm whether you have any lingering tax issues. Our tax attorneys are located in Modesto, California and Sacramento, California. We can help you determine if you have a real tax issue or help you get the tax relief appropriate for your situation. Please call us at (800) 454-7043 for your free consultation.