Community Chat

[riley1]

If the IRS wants you, they will send you a letter. I had a call once from "someone" at the IRS and told them I would need it in writing - never heard from them again!

[Carmie]

These spammers are using real numbers that belong people or buninesses.  Have you ever received a call from your own phone number? I have.

the the past several months, I have received calls from people who I know are deceased.  The spammers are using my local first three digit codes hoping I will answer.  If I don’t recognize the number, I don’t answer and they never leave a message.

The spammers can use the IRS’s phone number the same as everyone else’s. They change phone numbers often.

[Krimpette]

I have no issue with IRS, and I know they don't call you.  What I thought was so weird (in addition to the spoofed phone number) was seeing the word "spam" in the caller ID.  I'm hoping maybe there's a way that the phone companies are finding to do this with more spam callers.  After all, when QVC was selling that call blocker gadget, I believe they said it came with something like 5,000 already blocked numbers.  If the manufacturer can do that, I wonder why the phone companies can't do more.

[patbz]

I get many spam calls and block them using True Caller app.

[Cakers3]

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@Carmie wrote:

These spammers are using real numbers that belong people or buninesses.  Have you ever received a call from your own phone number? I have.

the the past several months, I have received calls from people who I know are deceased.  The spammers are using my local first three digit codes hoping I will answer.  If I don’t recognize the number, I don’t answer and they never leave a message.

The spammers can use the IRS’s phone number the same as everyone else’s. They change phone numbers often.

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@Carmie  This is true about the real numbers being used by spammers/hackers.

The latest is hacking into cell phones and calling somebody from a contact list so that a real contact name/face/number is displayed but it is a hacker.

So for example I could get a call from grandson-his name, face, and number would be displayed as it is in my contacts but it wouldn't be him.

Just saw this on the news a few nights ago.

[JustJazzmom]

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@Krimpette wrote:
The number was displayed on my caller ID.  When I googled the number, it's clearly the IRS phone number.  And on the line where the caller name usually appears, it showed "SPAM_UNAVAILABLE".

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Someone somewhere spoofed the IRS number.

[shoekitty]

I got a call a couple weeks ago that said Kaiser Hospital.  Since my grandkids and kids have Kaiser, like a fool I answered.  This lady went off on me selling medical alerts.    that was a spoof call.  Then after the calls goes through the caller ID does not display.  

[Snoopp]

The IRS will communicate through mail; you can call them, of course.  I had to deal with them and all communication from them was by mail only.  

[sissel]

I can't even tell you what I said with that . Very nasty  cussing & loved it. then blocked them. Yep I pay my taxes & this ****** phone calls then blocked them but fun expressing myself. Told them every cuss word I know but knew they are trying to scare me. bunch of ******.Have fun then block

[shoekitty]

They put fake numbers on the caller ID.  My guess is thy really wouldnt want us calling them back.

as i said, I actually had a telemarketer put Kaiser Permanente on caller ID, the number was a local Kaiser in town.  But I answered that call, thinking it was my grand daughter and the telemarketer went off blabbing non stop about medical alert....til I khung up