IRS Warns of Telephone Scam

>>>Simply go down the right hand column of this page until you see the big red words, "Phone Number Search." <<<

What I don't see in the right hand column of this page are the big red words, "How To Use This Site", or the big red words, "Please Read This Before Posting".

Perhaps the veterans of this site can be a little less snarky.  Not everyone who visits here automatically knows what to do when he arrives.

} Not everyone who visits here automatically knows what to do

Possibly, but slowing down to read before jumping in has been sound practice in online discussions since the days of the local-dial Bulletin Board Systems and low speed modems. There is little point in anyone contributing useful content if every other subsequent commentor ignores both post history and the essential structure of a complaint site.

How about adding this to the sidebar?  You wrote half of it already.  

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Slowing down to read before jumping in has been sound practice in online discussions since the days of the local-dial Bulletin Board Systems and low speed modems. There is little point in anyone contributing useful content if every other subsequent commentor ignores both post history and the essential structure of a complaint site. With that in mind, please do as follows BEFORE posting:

1. Search for posts about the number in question by entering the number into the search box in the right-hand column of the page

2. Read the thread to find information that others have posted about that number. If you have something additional to contribute, please do so.

3. If no one has posted information about the number you've entered, please start a thread about your experience with the number you've entered.

Thanks for your contribution to this site!  It wouldn't be here without the input of folks like you!

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>>> How about adding this to the sidebar? You wrote half of it already. <<<

I made a suggestion like this months ago, and a few minor changes were made to the site. But I'm now convinced that nothing will ever work effectively.

According to http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/800notes.com , some 79.2% of all visitors to this web site come directly from a web search engine like the various national versions of Google, Yahoo, and Bing. These people are probably searching directly for the number on their caller ID and typically land on an internal page of 800notes. That explains why there are so many helpful comments in number threads saying something like "I googled the number and found this. Thanks, google!" Google has nothing to do with the contents of 800notes.

And why recommend using Google on a page that you, yourself, found by using Google, when everyone else on that page either found their way on their own, or already knew how to use Google to get there?

Explanation: They don't read anything else on 800notes. According to the Alexa.com report linked above, the average number of daily pageviews on this site is 1.36 pages per visitor -- barely over a single page. So this site gets a lot of drive-by traffic, but probably many of the posts are made by people who don't stop and read anything but the single page they land on. They aren't going to stop and read the whole thesis you wrote for the right side of the page -- and it isn't going to fit very well there, because you have to allow for essential things like the site menu, the phone number search, the latest forum threads, the notice regarding etiquette, the latest news, and the addvertising that pays for this site. (The latest videos could probably go, and the latest articles could probably stand to be updated, but there still won't be enough room for your sidebar addition.)

Besides, if they really want to see what this site is all about, they can always click on "homepage" under "site menu."  It's the first clickable link in the right column on this page.

I'm sure everyone would like to add something more to help noobs add useful comments, but I have to agree with the comment that one should read and become familiar with the discussion board.  It's worth learning the rules of a discussion first before butting my head into one and possibly sounding like a fool. And you will have much more luck asking a teacher for help if you make an effort to learn how to help yourself first -- i.e., look for information before posting.

Interface decisions are for Admin to render. There's a difference between observation and instruction. If it was my site, I would try to stress the latter with newcomers and save the windy explanations for sub-paragraphs or footnotes.

You propose to cram a lot of verbiage into the sidebar. Making it messy isn't going to help much, either. Long ago I think I'd suggested a new link for the footer and/or the sidebar which would point to helpful hints for getting the most from this site (mainly by thinking of how to give more than take). The most impatient types, often on mobile devices, aren't going to read instructions no matter where they are placed, but having a reference doc may ease the task of guiding others.

Maybe Shirley should start her own site since she seems to know it all.

At the reply box is a good place for that instructional link (with only the numbered items in the new window), placed just above the text box, and beneath the author's name.

I agree that many people can't or won't read much of anything that doesn't immediately concern them, and possibly not even then.  If it's shoved in their faces, then maybe they will.  

On page 1 of this thread, second from the bottom, "Sid" comments, and includes a number, which is not currently posted in its own thread.  Perhaps "Sid" might have started a thread on that number if he'd had just a bit more of a hint that that's what he should do.

If my comments aren't appreciated, so be it.  I've come to this site for info for quite some time (and will continue to do so), but I just registered yesterday.  I'm not attempting to offend anyone here, especially the veterans.

As a professional web developer, I've learned that people need to be led by the hand sometimes to achieve the desired results.  Not everyone has the experience or the knowledge or the manners or perhaps the intellect to post satisfactorily in forums.  I try to give them every helping hand that I can.  It makes them feel important and needed when they accomplish something as simple as posting to a forum, and it saves me a lot of work and aggravation on the back end.

Thank you both for responding, I appreciate it.

Thank you for proving my point.  

I will stick with my own sites from here on in.  The arrogance here is just too much for me.

I didn't realize the admins had to seek your approval on the design of the site. The fact is, the site can be designed in any manner that the owner wishes.

>>> As a professional web developer, I've learned that people need to be led by the hand sometimes to achieve the desired results. Not everyone has the experience or the knowledge or the manners or perhaps the intellect to post satisfactorily in forums. <<<

I suspect that the total volume of complaints per month here, by percentage of the number of visitors to this site over any given month, is probably no worse than yours. According to this web site:
http://urlm.co/www.800notes.com#web
there are well over two and a half million monthly visits to this web site.

Someday, perhaps you may become successful enough to design a web site capable of efficiently handling nearly 100,000 visitors per day without a substantial number of complaints and suggestions about the web design or of people misusing the web site. When that happens, please let us know.

That's not being snarky to you. I'd say that, given the numbers and human nature, it's being quite realistic.

I got called from 202-754-8074, said his name is Frank Jordon and he is calling from IRS. He is Philippine guy. He asked me if I received documentation from mail that I got lawsuit from IRS from year 2008 to 2012 that I had intentionally hide my tax and got audited and it is unavoidable. He threatened me that police will come to my home (said my home address on the phone) and arrest me and take to jail for not paying tax. He asked me to pay $1079.00 with electronic payment, not accepting credit card or debit card, but need to fill out voucher. I asked him to hold on and search his phone # in internet. Gochha, he is fruad. I called police - 911, police told me to hung up the call. After then he called me repeatedly. I picked up and told him, "you are fraud". Also told him I checked your phone review in web and also called police. He laughed.  

I think Verizon is selling all information to these fraud party. All the Verizon connected phones are getting these phone calls. Once, I got called from tele-marketer and asked him who provide my phone number to you? he said, Verizon sells all those phone database who do not pay $4.00 to block their phone number. It is not good to have Verizon contract. I am waiting for my 2 years contract to end up. Verizon is bad.

This Saturday, I got a message on my machine from a "Ben Smith".  "Ben Smith" said he was from the IRS had a very heavy Indian-like accent.  The accent was a huge red flag.  How many people named Ben Smith talk like he was raised in Mumbai?

Anyway, "Ben" threatened me with some kind of legal action unless I called him back immediately.  "Ben" left a number that sounded like 412-506-9166.  It was tough to understand because of "Ben's" accent.  As it was a Saturday, IRS was not open.  So, I could not call IRS but, their web site did describe "Ben's" scam to a "T" and asked that I leave details for investigation.

After I left a complaint with IRS and the FTC, I called "Ben's" number.  It kept ringing.  No one answered.

Looks like they make up their phone number, then change it quickly to make it hard to track them.  A trace comes up as an unlisted number in Carnegie, PA.

"Ben" is part of the IRS phone scam, I am convinced.  The IRS confirmed to me they do not demand money from anyone over the phone.  They almost always communicate by mail (which they have done with me, so I know this is true) and if an agent calls, it is usually because you called them and asked to be contacted.

So give these idiots nothing.  If you get one of these calls, my advice is to make a report to irs.gov and ftc.gov.  You'll find links to file complaints about the scams.

For some reason, Indian scammers seem to think using  Anglicized names  adds credibility to their story.   It isn't just the IRS scam either, the bogus "computer repair" and pay day loan scams also feature callers with Anglicized names who sound like a bad version of Apu from the "Simpsons."    But thank God for small favors; at least it's an excellent tipoff the caller is a crook.

Just got a call from 202-241-9720. He mentioned that he is from IRS and I did not pay taxes from 2008 - 2012, which is not true... He also said that an arrest warrant is issued on my name and cops are gonna show up at my house with non-bailable arrest warrant, if I dont call back in next 45 mins.
he gave me my very old address. Me, being a fool, corrected him with my current address and my legal name too.  Not sure of the impications.

Received call from 202-506-9141 at 11:53am. Didn't answer because I don't know anyone in "DC". Message was just noise like a call center before disconnect. I looked up the number and found this thread. So I called back.

Call was answered by a gentleman who answered in an accent so thick, I could not understand him when he said "Internal Revenue Service".  I told him I received a call and he asked for the number I was called on. I asked him for his extension so I could call him back on the IRS toll free number and not pay long distance charges.....he hung up.