Community Chat

[handygal2]

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@Q4u wrote:

I agree with the poster who said that the National Registry "Do Not Call" works... we did that  with the phone #'s we had before we moved (cell and land lines) and it really does work.  

After we moved here, we changed our cell #'s and registered them with the Do Not Call Registry .... but we went one step further, we've actually never had a land line put in at our home!!   DH and I both use our iPhones for everything and we've never had even one scam phone call...  it's wonderful.

We kept saying we need to put in a land line but kept putting it off and now we think, "why should we?" ..... 

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You're lucky that you haven't gotten any scam calls on your cell phones. I've gotten several on mine (not nearly as many as on my landline, though), and l even get scam texts! And both numbers are registered on the DNC Registry, but that does absolutely no good.

[KentuckyWoman]

We have received one call and they left a message on our answering machine.  It was a woman and she had a thick accent.  Around the same time, our local news channel informed the public that it was a scam.  If the IRS wants you, they will not contact you by phone. 

[Eager2Learn]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

You can block one number and then they call from another.  You'll run yourself ragged trying to block all the numbers they call from. 

I personally have found the Do not Call registry a complete waste of time.  Both my cell and my home numbers are on that list and we still get calls all the time.  We just don't bother to answer the phone if we don't recognize the number.

I tried to sign up and use nomorerobo and while it says it's compatible with TWC, one of the steps is missing on the TWC website so you can't sign up.  I even called and the CS was able to pull up the necessary icon on her end but we never could get this to work. 

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The Do Not Call List is useless. I'm on it but it doesn't stop the robocalls. I tried to sign up my phone (TWC) with nomorobo and get a 404 error code at "Manage My Setting". 

[riley1]

@handygal2 - I get scam texts and phone calls on my cell as well - plenty of them. Numbers are registered with DNC and it does no good. The latest scam on my cell was someone with a very thick accent saying the govt was giving me a grant! I asked him to not call again of course that didn't work. Last time he called I told him I called the U.S. Govt dept responsible for this (I didn't) and told him this was a scam and they haven't called back. I might get my whistle out next for any future calls - 

[Sister Golden Hair]

We got one of those calls the other day and it is a scam. Beware

[RainCityWoman]

We have discussed this before here. Yes, it's a scam. What they are hoping is that you will call the number they leave and they can glean information from you....like your social security number. They are too stupid to figure out that usually someone with a very thick accent would not be from the IRS, and in addition, the IRS would never contact a person with a recorded message, accent or not. I found the whole thing kind of humorous because after the guy goes on and on about my imminent arrest for income tax evasion (on a teacher's income?), he ends the call by saying, "Have a nice day." I reported it to the IRS and gave them the phone number from caller ID.

[SHIRAZ]

Definitely a scam.  Here's what to look for, and where to report it:

Below are five things scammers often do that the real IRS would never do:

The IRS will never:

• Angrily demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have people arrested for not paying.
• Demand that people pay taxes without giving them the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say is owed.
• Require people to use a specific payment method for their taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Here’s what people should do if they think they’re the target of an IRS impersonation scam:

• Those who actually do owe taxes should call the IRS at 800.829.1040. IRS workers can help with a payment issue.
• Those who know they don’t owe taxes, or do not immediately believe that they do, can report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 800.366.4484.
• Those who have been targeted by any scam should be sure to contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their FTC Compliant Assistant at FTC.gov. Add the words “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of the complaint.

For more information on reporting tax scams, go to IRS.gov and type “scam” in the search box.

[newziesuzie]

I think people don't realize the Do Not Call does 

work within its limits so it does keep some calls 

away but it can't protect from places where we 

agreed to get calls without knowing we did or the 

robocalls that aren't real businesses. I wish they 

could catch the criminals and stop them.

[Cats3000]

IT IS A SCAM!!!!!!  

Do not call the number they gave you.  I think the IRS has a number you can call or a web page you can use to report the incident.

[sallybusky]

I got one of these calls too.  Knowing the guy was full of s*** I played along, just to see how far he'd go.  When he was done I said, "My husband is a policeman, so when he gets home I'll tell him that we need to-" and the guy hung up on ME.