topic Re: Tax Scam called me in General Credit Topics

Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Mon, 22 May 2017 18:04:01 GMT

I do not owe back taxes or have a lawsuit filed against me but I rec'd a voicemail from a Tenn # 1 931-253-1453 stating an arrest warrant was issued under my name for taxes. For fun I called the number and a woman answered, "IRS Deputy what is your name?" I answered, "What is your Federal Employee ID number?" She immediately hung up.

I reported the number to the FTC. Just wanted to let people know of the call, number and, to never give out ssn # or banking info, even if you may owe taxes. The IRS official website says they will never call you unless they've sent you first a notice via the US mail. They will never threaten you with arrest and to always ask for the Federal Employee ID numer.

Re: Tax Scam called me

RobertEG — Mon, 22 May 2017 18:57:36 GMT

It is an express violation of the FDCPA to threaten arrest for an unpaid debt.

It is also a violation to make any representation that a communication is from a federal agency.

See FDCPA 807.

I would also send notice to the CFPB and your state office of the AG for inclusion their databases.

You also have the right to bring civil action to recover statutory damages of $1,000 per violation of the FDCPA.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Mon, 22 May 2017 19:11:00 GMT

I will do that. I just got through receiving another call from them but from 650-245-5120. I asked the man for his Federal Employee ID # and he replied with, "My Federal Employee ID # is I am going to fu%$ you in the as%." I laughed and said the number has already been reported to the FTC.

Re: Tax Scam called me

RobertEG — Mon, 22 May 2017 19:17:11 GMT

They appear now to have accrued $3,000 in statutory damages.........

Re: Tax Scam called me

DaveInAZ — Mon, 22 May 2017 19:41:27 GMT

But do they ever catch any of these scammers? I remember reading recently that they broke up a big ring in India, but that first caller was stupid enough to leave a message & call back #, must be a rank amateur. But the 2nd call is showing up on a google search as a wireless # in the bay area, so likely a spoofed call ID - with an internet phone service you can put in anything as a caller ID.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Mon, 22 May 2017 20:19:05 GMT

I called back the FTC with my 1st reference complaint number and provided the second number. She said most people never report the numbers on this scam because they're too embarrassed. She thanked me very much for providing the info.

I just remember how paralyzed with fear I was 8-10 years ago when we were under water in so much debt and a call like that would scare me and worry me for a long time. I am going to continue to report these calls. I don't know if these low-lives will ever be caught though.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Mon, 22 May 2017 20:42:34 GMT

Most of the scammers just close down and then open under a new name.

Re: Tax Scam called me

RobertEG — Tue, 23 May 2017 00:08:49 GMT

It is important to notify the governmental agencies, such as the FTC, CFPB, or state AG, of such issues in that multiple complaints for the same practice will often be basis for their initiation of an investigation. They normally dont investigate individual consumer complaints, and thus multiple instances are usually necessary to bring about action.

As for chances of results, only government agencies obtain data via inputs from mulitple sources, and then have the resources or authority to conduct a full investigation, such as tracing phone numbers, etc. If the govenment agency ever does bring action, those who have filed complaints are likely to be included in the class of consumers eligible for damages or agreement to pay once a civil judgment or consent order is reached.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2017 12:46:15 GMT

It appears that a lot of these scam operations hop around from number to number and call people more or less at random to try to trick, browbeat or threaten them into giving them money or at least their personal financial information. I got several calls last week from a number in my area code, for example, and on Googling it I found that everyone who reported it to various "who's called you?" services described it, without exception, as a scam/junk number - in fact a lot of the time there wasn't even a live person answering. Never return a call to any number that you can't find the owner/user, doesn't appear to be legitimate when you look it up or don't have any reason to be expecting a call from until you can verify it by other means.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2017 13:38:20 GMT

I got hit with a scam call yesterday..

caller: Your son has been in a terrible accident here in Mexico

me: My SON??? OMG (sarcasm)

caller: Your son D...., he is badly injured and you need to wire $3,000 immediately for his surgery...HE WILL DIE if you don't send it

me: WOW, well you see I never really liked him and he's insured with me as the beneficiary...My vote is to let him pass peacefully

caller: you evil lady (and hung up)

I guess they didn't expect that from me ROFL...and by the way son D.... is safe and happy north of the mason dixson line

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2017 23:55:49 GMT

Amusing stuff thus far in this thread - very entertaining

Has anyone ever recovered "damages" from these type of calls? I have never heard of such a success story, but Robert above suggested it is possible.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Wed, 24 May 2017 01:39:01 GMT

It would be interesting to see if you could ever be awarded damages, but the problem would be that most of these awful people don't live in the US, so we have no jurisdiction to collect.

On our news, they have reported an increase of these types of calls/scams and one of the new ways they target you is they will ask if your name is...when you say "yes", they have it recorded and then they file a bs credit scam and when the victim disputes it, the bad guys have you saying "yes" to the terms...so now whenever someone calls me (I don't know) and ask if they are speaking to Mrs XYZ, I say "May I help you?"...no matter what the reason I refuse to say "Yes"

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:24:49 GMT

I tend to agree these scammers are overseas.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:26:24 GMT

I google the numbers too. Great resource.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:27:23 GMT

Thanks for the heads up.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 18:07:19 GMT

Because they are fly by night no consumer attorney touch the case as its a waste of time. Since once of our biz contracts is with a Federal Law Enforcement agency I have been tempted to ask if they wanted to have some fun. There are several very unethical but legal things they could do to the scammers. It would be fun to watch.

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 18:12:02 GMT

I wonder what would happen to them if a "victim" just read them the routing and account numbers from the bottom of a tax refund check... lol

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 18:34:46 GMT

It would take about 3 months for the Treasury to realize it hit their account but when it did .....

Re: Tax Scam called me

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 18:35:23 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
It would take about 3 months for the Treasury to realize it hit their account but when it did .....

Yep that would be a hilarious outcome.

Re: Tax Scam called me

RobertEG — Thu, 25 May 2017 19:49:25 GMT

Regarding damages, the FDCPA is a "statutory damanges" statute, whereas the FCRA requries some showing of willful or negligent noncompliance in order to recover damages.

Simply stated, that means that a consumer can recover damages for any violation of the FDCPA without need to prove the subjective issue of whether the violation was willful or negligent. So-called statutory damages require a showing only of violation of a provision of the FDCPA, such as any of the prohibited practices outlined under FDCPA 807.

Statutory damages are limited under FDCPA 813 to $1,000 per violation.

Yes, one must bring civil action in a U.S. court to receive an award of statutory damages under the FDCPA, but that is a separate issue.