DALLAS – Despite the efforts of the IRS to contain it, a phone scam that's bilked individual taxpayers out of $14 million in phony tax debts continues to roll along.
The scam has targeted at least 300,000 people, according to the IRS, and it may be gaining steam in North Texas.
Dan Moore's been getting the robo-calls for two days.
The recorded voice identifies itself as being from the "Internal Revenue Services (sic)."
"The reason for this call is to inform you that the IRS is filing a lawsuit against you," the call continues.
"It wasn't real friendly," Moore told News 8.
The robo-voice went on: "To get more information about this case file, please call on our department number, 509-643-4427."
Moore called the number. "Their tone was abrasive and immediate," he said, "and they wanted money."
Turns out, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has been tracking this scam since January 2013. On their website, they tell you not to cooperate and they have a dedicated page for complaints.
We called the number, just to see what would happen.
509-643-2277 traces to Spokane, Washington — not Washington, D.C. — but Spokane may not be where the call was actually coming from.
"Thank you for calling to the Internal Revenue Service," a voice answered in broken English. "How may I assist you?"
Audible in the background were the murmur of other voices, also on the phone.
The man was intent on getting a number from me, "to pull out your case file," he said.
He said he was located in Washington, D.C., and could not explain the Spokane area code.
When we questioned him further, he hung up.
The same thing happened to Dan Moore. He didn't send any money to the mystery number, but he wanted to get the word out.
"This kinda T-boned me a little bit. And got to me," he said. "And that's why I felt compelled to talk to people about it."
Two reminders arise from this:
- First, the IRS will never call you if you're in trouble. They'll notify you in writing.
- Second, lawsuit defendants are notified in writing. So don't sweat the phone calls.
