Community Chat

[Wsmom]

I also heard that and thought that's ridiculous, after telling everybody they would never call.  So now the scammers will just refer to themselves as one of the bill collectors for the IRS.  It's almost like the IRS thought, "what a good idea; we should call them".

[maestra]

I'd still be inclined to tell them (the caller) to put it in writing and they could take a long hike.

[chrystaltree]

Oh, good grief.  Those are collection agencies that hire anyone off the street to make those calls.  The are no NOBODY, those agencies work for a percentage of the recovery and you don't know what the caller will do with your information.  So only somone who is very very dumb would take such a call.  The fact is those are deliquent accounts and the taxpayer has been in default for a long, long time and they know it.  The collection agency is the last resort to collect.  So, if some gets such a call, they should contact IRS. 

[Nomorebirthdays]

Alot of people who do not pay their taxes and other bills are experts at avoiding bill collectors.

Those that prey on people will continue to find ways to scam..

[masque]

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who introduced the proposal and represents the state where two of the four chosen private collection agencies are based, didn't respond to a request for comment. Navient, the parent company of Pioneer Credit Recovery, one of the collection agencies in the program, donated $4,000 to Schumer in 2016, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/26/call-unlisted-number-might-collections-rep-irs/970086...

[truffle]

I don't owe diddily and will block their calls.  I guess they'll break down my door and throw on the cuffs.  

[brandiwine]

Here's a thought.  PAY YOUR DEBTS!  You don't ever have to worry about bill collectors or scammers.

[Spurt]

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@stevieb wrote:

Nope, don't feel a bit sorry for them. They put it out there that they'd never call and now they want to retract it and have bill collectors call on their behalf...?  No, uh uh, don't feel sorry for them or their minions at all...

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@stevieb

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the IRS got the idea to call people when they heard on the news and social media about all the scammers calling and pretending to be the IRS---

[RainCityWoman]

Great. The scam artists have won a victory on this. They will be better able to dupe some who are easily fooled into giving out their personal information.

[Nomorebirthdays]

I hope if this is true the first call goes to Al Sharpton.