347-809-6326

I never answer numbers I don't know.  They left a message regarding a "legal status to your account.  As recently instructed by the attorney general of the state that must be resolved immediately.  Call back at 347-809-6326.  I repeat 347-809-6326.  You must call back right now!"  This message was also left from the 347-539-4266 with the call back number left as 347-809-6326.  SCAM!

How can I verify whether or not a debt collector is legitimate?
Here are a few warning signs that could signal a debt collection scam:

The debt collector threatens you. Legitimate debt collectors probably won't claim that they'll have you arrested or claim that they or their employees are law enforcement officers.

The debt collector refuses to give you information about your debt or is trying to collect a debt you do not recognize. You have certain rights to ask a debt collector to verify the debt. You can use this sample letter to request this information. Ask for an explanation in writing before you pay.

The debt collector refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number.

The debt collector asks you for sensitive personal financial information. You should never provide anyone with your personal financial information unless you are sure they're legitimate.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

Ask the caller for his or her name, company, street address, telephone number, and professional license number. Many states require debt collectors to be licensed. Check the information the caller provides you with your state officials, or the state in which the debt collector holds a license. If the caller refuses or is unable to provide you with information about his company, or if you can’t verify the information he provides, do not give money to the caller or company.

Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." This notice must include:
The amount of the debt
The name of the creditor you owe
A description of certain rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, consider requesting this information in writing or seeking assistance before paying the debt to make sure the debt, and the company, are valid.

Tip: You can consider sending the collector a letter requesting the information by using one of the CFPB's sample letters. You can also submit a complaint to the CFPB or you can contact your state Attorney General’s office.

Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know the company or person you are talking with is a real debt collector. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft such as:
Charging your existing credit cards
Opening new credit card or checking accounts
Writing fraudulent checks
Taking out loans in your name

Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.

Report the call. Submit a complaint with the CFPB or get in touch with your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers.

Stop speaking with the caller.If nothing else works and you believe the calls are fraudulent, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files.

Tip: You can use this sample letter to write a letter demanding the debt collector stop contacting you. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.

Tip: If you're having trouble with debt collection, you can submit a complaint with the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

http://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Funny, I got the same call from 347-809-6326 and then 30 seconds later the exact message from 347-809-6947. Needless to say, I did not call back now.

Same message left as with Anna. Also received same message from a California number.This one was New York. Don't have any delinquent accounts. Has to be a scam.

They called twice today and left messages for my ex then later got me and said they needed to speak to him because there was a warrant out for his arrest from the IRS. They knew my name but said I was clear and they needed to speak to him. Scam I'm certain but they have finally stopped calling.

I received a call today with the same message as Anna's, telling me to call 347-809-6326 immediately; however, my caller id indicated a different number of 210-280-8488.

Just received the same exact call.  I too, do not answer numbers that I do not know.  This one indicated as 'unavailable' and because my parents number shows that way, I answered and received the same recorded auto answer message.  After receiving a similar phone call from an "IRS representative" that I could not understand (heavy accent) and confirming it was a total scam, I opt not to return this call as well.

Called X2 today, left no message. Caller ID reads "New York, NY"

Left a message for me on my mother's voice mail. Claimed to be from Dept of Legal Affairs with the US Treasury. Told me to call back and something about my attorney (was a little difficult to understand) or this might become a legal action. Am NOT responding!!

I just got the same call and called them back. They said there was a warrant for my arrest and that I would be imprisoned for six months because I filed my 2011 taxes improperly. Then they asked if I wanted to hold the line to receive more information about what I could do about it. I laughed and said sure, go ahead! I guess my laugh gave it away. They hung up

I just got same call, left a message about legal status of account. Some thing about the attorney general of the state. I didn't call them back. It's a scam.

I received same message as LC.  Told me I should have my attorney call back as they were starting legal action on me.  Caller had heavy accent and there was a lot of background noise

Received a call and it was very garbled and hard to hear and caller had a thick accent, lots of background noise.  Threatened that legal action could be taken and to call back to make it right.  Said something about Law Enforcement action.  It seemed only the threatening words and the phone number were clear; the rest was not clear, perhaps by design.

Received 2 calls today from 347-809-6326. Heavy accented man said his name was Mark Johnson from Dept. of Legal Affairs for the U.S. Treasury, he was giving me a verbal notification of a law enforcement action against me, and to call back immediately or later with my lawyer. Im glad i never answer numbers i dont recognize. Scam!

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts
http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report.shtml
https://800notes.com/forum/ta-8c2f64bf2b91fa5/irs-warns-of-telephone-scam

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4b849c65e54346 ... leader-irs-scam

Report the Calls to the real IRS here:
•report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
•You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments in your complaint.

To file complaints on Foreign company's and scams:
https://800notes.com/forum/ta-d20d86fdc3e145c/reporting-international-scams
https://www.econsumer.gov/#crnt
eConsumer.gov: Report Your Complaint
E-mail: econsumerwb@ftc.gov
******
Do consider getting a call blocking device or phone.. You can google them and many are around $40.00 or so.If its a cell phone, some already have call blocking, if not, there are free apps on the web that will work for some. You can google this. If you have a smart phone, there is a free app called call control. Iphones appear to have apps also. Another one is called Mr. Number.

For tracfone & straight talk:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.privacystar.android.tracfone&hl=en
http://extras.straighttalk.com/en
http://www.youmail.com/home/carriers/straight-talk/block-number
https://www.straighttalkwirelessforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6803&t=55006

I received the same call, called them back and told them they were full if S***,   He did not like this at all and started yelling and told me to Suck his you know what then hung up!    Called there bluff hopefully the calls will stop!!!

Same experience. Caller was John Edwards claiming to be from the Dept of Legal Affairs with the US Treasury. Asked me to call back and also alluded to having my attorney call him regarding legal action. I used this soundboard to speak to him: http://www.realmofdarkness.net/pc/sb/judy/1

A message was left on my answering machine this morning at 7:32 am that he attorney general is investigating a serious problem with one of your accounts. You must call back 347-809-6326 right now....looking at other comments this is a scam.

As TIGTA Continues To Warn On IRS Scams, New Treasury Scams Surface

Over the past two years, nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million to scammers posing as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials. Since October 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 736,000 contacts made to taxpayers demanding that they send them cash via prepaid debit cards.

J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, assured taxpayers that his office was actively pursuing those involved in the fraud, reassuring taxpayers, “We have made progress in our investigation of this scam, resulting in the successful prosecution of some individuals associated with it over the past year. This summer, a ringleader was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison. However, this is still a matter of high investigative priority, and we will not rest until all individuals associated with this fraud have been brought to justice.”

But even as TIGTA notes that it continues to receive reports of thousands those bogus calls every month, stories are circulating suggesting that the scam is widening. Scammers are changing tactics and making calls purporting to be directly from the U.S. Treasury. There are a few variations on this scam. In one version, scammers advise that an individual has been awarded a grant or a similar sum of money and in order to collect, the individual needs to provide personal information or a sum of money to “release” the funds. It sounds a little bit like those lottery scams making the rounds but the use of the name of the Office of the Treasury seems to make individuals believe that it’s more legitimate. It is not. TheTreasury advises that it does not have such a program. Further, the Treasury says:

Quote:
Recently we’ve found a twist on these scams, where the email, letter or phone call actually claims to be from the Treasury Inspector General, Eric M. Thorson. Some have convincing details about his career, appear to be on Treasury letterhead, and have links to email addresses such as ericthorson.oig@usa.com. These are frauds. Do not believe them, and do not respond to them. Please send them to OIGCounsel@oig.treas.gov; we will work to shut them down.

Another version of a Treasury scam involves a caller falsely representing that he is from Office of the Treasury and demanding payment or information (just like those bogus IRS calls). These callers have been described as threatening or abusive, and tell victims they need to make immediate payment to forestall arrest. Again, Treasury advises that these calls are frauds.

An even more sophisticated scam effort attempts to convince individuals to buy fraudulent promissory notes and/or private bonds. Some involve what are alleged to be Treasury issued or backed securities. Examples of those fake securities include “Limited Edition” Treasury Securities, One Year “Fresh Cut” Treasury bills; “U.S. Dollar Bonds”; Fraudulent “Federal Notes” or “Bonds” (also called “Morganthaus”); and “Defacto” Treasury Securities. To make it sound more legitimate, scammers may use routing numbers from Treasury bureaus, specifically the Financial Management Service (FMS) and the Bureau of the Public Debt (BPD), or a Federal Reserve bank, to make the false notes appear genuine. Don’t be fooled. If you hear these terms, be aware that they are all bogus securities.

Finally, those “redemption” or “acceptance for value” schemes are also completely fraudulent. In these schemes, scammers assert that the United States government has trust accounts linked to each citizen. Promoters tell potential victims that they can gain access to the funds – and discharge their debts – by issuing forms 1099-OID to their creditors. This scam is perpetually on the list of Dirty Dozen scams issued by IRS.

Be smart. There is no magical form or security that will make you rich. The government isn’t holding secret money in your name and no phone call, email or seminar can produce details that say otherwise.

Similarly, the IRS or Treasury won’t be calling you and asking you to provide personal financial information, including PINs and account numbers, over the phone.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/ ... -scams-surface/

These are criminal extortionists operating in overseas boiler rooms using VOIP to alter their identities and locations and out of the reach of US law enforcement.

If someone calls saying he's an IRS agent and demands that you send money immediately, hang up.

By altering their caller ID number to make it look like they're calling from an IRS office, these scammers often threaten vulnerable people like the elderly and new immigrants with things like arrest, deportation or the loss of their driver's license if they don't pay immediately for money purportedly owed.

Often leaving messages that say it's "urgent" you call them back, the scammers use common names and sometimes say they are from the IRS Criminal Division. They may even claim to know the last four digits of your Social Security number and send follow-up emails that appear to be from the IRS, TIGTA said.

They often demand that payments be made by prepaid debit card.

Once they make their threats, the scammers have been known to call back and again disguise their caller ID so it appears they are calling from the police department or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Or sometimes when they call, they may say you have a refund due and ask you to provide personal information so you can claim it.

The real IRS will usually contact you by regular mail first, if it needs to contact you at all. And the agency never demands immediate payment by phone or asks for credit card or debit numbers if they do call. It also never asks for personal or financial information by email, text or social media.

If you get what you suspect is a scam call, report it to TIGTA through its Web site or call 800-366-4484.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/22/pf/taxes/irs-tax-scams/

12/3/15  -  Received message on answering machine demanding to call John Edwards with Dept of Legal Affairs at 347-809-6326 immediately. Urgent to call or have lawyer call.