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elleng

(130,884 posts)
Mon Jul 23, 2018, 06:08 PM Jul 2018

U.S. Breaks Up Fake I.R.S. Phone Scam Operation.

(Hope it really works! They'd been silent for a while, here anyway, and returned recently.)

'With stiff sentences for 21 conspirators last week in the United States and a round of indictments in India, the Justice Department says it has broken up what appeared to be the nation’s first large-scale, multinational telephone fraud operation.

Over four years, more than 15,000 victims in the United States lost “hundreds of millions” of dollars to the sophisticated scam, and more than 50,000 individuals had their personal information misused, the department said Friday. The money was routed through call centers in India back to the ringleaders in eight states.

The fraudulent calls came suddenly and frequently while the scam was active from 2012 to 2016, according to court documents. A person posing as an Internal Revenue Service or immigration official was on the phone, threatening arrest, deportation or other penalties if the victims did not immediately pay their debts with prepaid cards or wire transfers.

The calls targeted the most vulnerable Americans, including immigrants and older people.

An 85-year old woman in San Diego paid $12,300 to people claiming to be I.R.S. employees who threatened her with arrest for tax violations.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/business/irs-phone-scams-jeff-sessions.html?

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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U.S. Breaks Up Fake I.R.S. Phone Scam Operation. (Original Post) elleng Jul 2018 OP
"active from 2012 to 2016, according to court documents" PSPS Jul 2018 #1
Yes, seems they are. elleng Jul 2018 #4
I received a voice mail from them GP6971 Jul 2018 #5
I got one of those calls about 3 weeks ago ago kimbutgar Jul 2018 #7
Please, some long prison sentences for all of them. nt NCjack Jul 2018 #2
I've gotten a few of those calls MiniMe Jul 2018 #3
I agree. But can you imagine what a legal permanent resident would feel if they are called by alwaysinasnit Jul 2018 #6
You will receive volumes of..... SergeStorms Jul 2018 #8
Right, and ditto!!! elleng Jul 2018 #9

PSPS

(13,593 posts)
1. "active from 2012 to 2016, according to court documents"
Mon Jul 23, 2018, 06:12 PM
Jul 2018

Um, they're still quite active. I get several calls of this nature every week. Another one came in yesterday.

GP6971

(31,141 posts)
5. I received a voice mail from them
Mon Jul 23, 2018, 06:42 PM
Jul 2018

last week. I called back and as soon as they identified themselves as the IRS I said this is Santa Claus returning your call and hung up.

kimbutgar

(21,137 posts)
7. I got one of those calls about 3 weeks ago ago
Mon Jul 23, 2018, 07:47 PM
Jul 2018

There is a lien on me and I needed to call this 800 number immediately or I would be arrested.

MiniMe

(21,714 posts)
3. I've gotten a few of those calls
Mon Jul 23, 2018, 06:14 PM
Jul 2018

And even though I know very well that the IRS doesn't call, it still makes your stomach sink. That is one reason it is so effective, everybody has a visceral feeling about the IRS.

alwaysinasnit

(5,066 posts)
6. I agree. But can you imagine what a legal permanent resident would feel if they are called by
Mon Jul 23, 2018, 06:54 PM
Jul 2018

someone claiming to be from Immigration and Customs Enforcement?

SergeStorms

(19,199 posts)
8. You will receive volumes of.....
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 03:52 AM
Jul 2018

written correspondence from the I.R.S. before you receive a single phone call. The I.R.S. is still big on paperwork for some reason. Don't ask me how I know this.

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