Dangerous New Trend in IRS Scams

I thought that might have been you LS.

Everyone reading  this thread needs to understand that it is about a new trend (topic starter's term).  The scammers calling in fake reports to the local police.

Welcome back, Stranger!

I just read a post on https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-510-627-9143, where these cretins are now threatening to publish Social Security numbers on the internet if their victims don't pay up.

What else can you expect from people who would sell their own mothers for a price?

IIRC, there are international treaties governing use of telecommunications, but if dirt-bag, corrupt,  outlaw nations are unwilling to abide by the terms, then there' little can be done, much on par with crime syndicates buying police protection in a locale.

Every one of those national sources, such as India, China, Russia, Pakistan, etc., have Most Favored Nation status. Go figure why (here's a hint: cronyism).

The governments (Fed, states) mostly do that already.

I've had more than a half-dozen calls from people like this.  I just don't bother to return the call.
I had someone threaten me; I immediately called a lawyer AND the people who were going to be called.

She was bluffing.  A royal Flush beats a pair of 2s, any day!

Hello Lone Stranger! Good to have you back again.

Yes, of course I was understating the matter, ahem, "significantly" as far as re-doing the entire global telephone system That's not going to happen.

The only thing I can envision standing a chance would be some system of of authentication by a digital signature that would be transmitted with telephone communications – in addition to Caller ID rather than in place of it. There are of course logistical problems to solve in implementation, but it would still be simpler than re-inventing telephony. Make it optional for people to include their digital signature when they initiate calls. If people start using it they'll come to trust calls that have a digital signature more than those that don't. At a certain point it would become practical to reject all calls that lack it.

If they have your SSN and are threatening to put it on the internet, there's a very high probability it's already being bought and sold on the internet already (dark web). That's probably how they got it in the first place. Keep that fraud monitoring in place.

What I have trouble in completely believing is that a PD would send out a SWAT team -- very, very expensive in terms of budget and manpower - on an anonymous phone call.  I think most PDs would send a squad car first.

My dad got this a few months ago, caller claimed to be from the IRS and threatened him with arrest if he didn't wire the money immediately.  My dad hung up.  Next day, a similar call from someone claiming he has a virus on his computer and offering to clean it remotely for $500.  My dad asked "aren't you the SOB who called yesterday claiming to be from the IRS?" and the guy hung up.  No calls since.

Law enforcement has been dealing with swatting incidents since 2004 so this is not an "isolated" incident. Here is a link regarding law enforcement and swatting: http://www.911.gov/pdf/PublicSafetyInfo-Swatting-may2015.pdf

Hello, drive-by troll. Normal people do not show up on this website and immediately begin accusing regular posters like Sir Bedevere of being scammers. Did you notice the blue-colored username and the avatar picture? That means those people have accounts on this website. They have to log in. If they don't behave themselves, they lose their accounts. You should read EVERY post on this forum thread before making your comments; same for other webpages.

On page 1 of this thread I pointed out the history of swatting goes back many years and linked to a New York Times article on the subject. But I believe the account of one of these IRS scammers using it is indeed an isolated incident. I certainly haven't been able to find another instance of it.