Harassing phone call - how do I know if it's legit?

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Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

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amother

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:18 pm

I was peacefully doing my Shabbat preparations this morning, when the phone rang. The woman on the other end left me a phone message that she's from the US Treasury Legal Actions department, and if I don't call her back at once, legal action will be taken and it won't be good. I called DH at work. He called the IRS and they said they did not see any pending action on his or my record...and it might be fraud. How can I know for sure? Is there anything else I should be doing?

mummiedearest

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:31 pm

the IRS doesn't make phone calls. if there were an issue, you would have received a letter.

momto2

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:50 pm

It is a scam! If you Google the number from your caller id, you will probably see many complaints about it. I got the same type of call and I googled the number and found that this is a scam. Nothing to worry about!

ElTam

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:51 pm

Definitely a scam.

momto2

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:51 pm

Talya

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:58 pm

My coworker got the same kind of call and was told she owes and enormous amount of money. They told her it has to be cash or check. Then they said they would meet her at Walmart in an hour to pick it up from her. I think that's when she realized it was a scam (not sure why it took her quite that long!)

amother

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 1:59 pm

OP here. I will assume it is a scam. But I did google the number and there were no fraud complaints filed against it. It said 0 complaints filed on this number. Maybe they just started this new scam today and I was the first one they reached Sad

Thanks for all your help!

imasinger

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 2:03 pm

These days, it is easy to get a new phone number for each victim to research.

If you have time, it might be good to make a complaint.

Talya

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 2:07 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks for all your help!

Honestly, like others said, the IRS wouldn't be calling you. Also, you called them and they told you it's likely fraud so you have nothing to worry about. If you're still nervous try calling the number to see what they have to say but for the love of God don't give ANY personal information like your social security number, address or birth date. NOTHING at all besides the name they mentioned on your voicemail. You don't care about them verifying who you are for security purposes. Actually, better yet, don't do it. They can sound very convincing and the IRS already told you it wasn't them.

greenfire

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 2:10 pm

don't answer numbers you don't recognize ... hence the wonderful invention of caller ID

amother

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 3:27 pm

Greenfire. OP here. I did not pick up the phone. The caller ID said California call with a number. So I let the machine take a message. The message is what scared me. Please call us back immediately. It is the US Treasury Legal Actions Dept. But the caller ID did not say IRS or US treasury, it just said California call.

rachel6543

Fri, Apr 04 2014, 8:24 pm

It's a scam. Just a few days ago my neighbor got a call like that. She reported the call to the local police and they said several other people had reported the same thing.

self-actualization

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 12:42 pm

There is another scam call that I received - someone from India pretending to be calling from Microsoft.

Dolly Welsh

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 12:48 pm

amother wrote:

It was a fraud. Hang up.

Anything genuine comes by post, or physical mail. One even has to use one's baloney-detector about physical mail.

But certainly anything meaningful would START with a piece of paper. (Ah, I see Mummiedearest said that already.)

Yes, those calls from "Microsoft" are fraud. Just hang up.

Sometimes a "nurse" will call, and after a very long spiel, will want you to give her your date of birth on the phone. "To confirm" or to "have you removed from the list". But:

Do not give any personal information on the phone, unless YOU placed the call. Or, over email. Not ever. Email is non-secure.

Just hang up.

luvinlife

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 2:05 pm

I got the exact same message a few times. I googled the number and it's a scam. I was freaked out too but really don't worry. I'm sure that number is just a new one that they are using to scam ppl. it will be on google soon enough.

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