Dangerous New Trend in IRS Scams

Actually, no.  You're being obtuse.

Same here, but at night. I was driving below the posted speed limit on a residential 2-lane street (on which there is no room for cars to park) late one night, and a car came up behind me and flashed its high beams. "Like hell," I thought. "I am not pulling over for that crap," so I continued as before. Then the top-of-the-roof lights began flashing. "Oh oh," and I pulled to the side as best I could, and slowed down. The police car manuevered around me and sped up going eastward on the street. I could not see the light bar on the top of the police vehicle in my rear view mirror. I generally do not get surprised by police flashing lights, living in a big city, see them so often, just pull over to get out of the way.
About 15 years ago it seemed impatient people would flash their brights at night a lot when stuck behind a slower-moving vehicle. I don't encounter it much any more. Flashing brights at unmarked police cars, especially those with the light bar inside the vehicle, gets people tickets.

Another nasty trend in IRS scams is this one: http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/apple/fraud-alert ... t-cards-n581591

I received a call at 9:54 this morning.  I was away and not able to answer the phone.  They referred a case # and said an enforcement action executed by the United States Treasury intending my serious intention,  blah blah blah......  Phone # is 202 370 6626,  Ending the call by saying do not disregard message and now if you don't return the call and I don't hear from your attorney then the only thing I can do is wish you good luck....     I will block their number...  Tha

This was on tonight's news. Another good reason not to talk to them

Couple says IRS scammer called SWAT on them

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. —
A Cherokee County couple says a con artist called SWAT on them when they refused to fall for his scam.

It happened Monday afternoon in Canton.

The victims say the scammer claimed to be with the IRS and demanded $2,600. When they refused, he said he would call police on them.

When they hung up, that’s exactly what he did, claiming there was an active shooter inside the victims’ home.

“I mean, it could've been a totally different scenario, and believe me, it's frightening,” said the homeowner, who did not want to be identified.

He says he’s still worried that if a vindictive scam artist went so far as to do that, he could do something else.

“It's horrifying to know that you can be in your own house, and something like that can happen over a scam,” he told Channel 2's Richard Elliot.

In 911 calls, you can hear the alleged scammer telling the dispatcher he’s the victim’s son and that there was an active shooter in the house.

“Yes, right now. That’s why I call. It’s very urgent,” the man says.

Cherokee County deputies, with their guns drawn, surrounded the house as the 911 operator tried to get more information.

“I have more than one or two officers. I've got about five officers outside of your house, and I need you to step out the door,” she said to the man.

he homeowner says deputies spotted his wife out back and quickly realized it was all a hoax.

Deputies say it’s a dangerous situation for law enforcement and citizens.

“Their adrenaline is flowing pretty hard, and you just don't know what's going to happen so it's very dangerous,” Lt. Jay Baker said.

Investigators believe the call may have come from somewhere inside India so they admit that there's very little, if anything, they can do.

“I just hope there’s some way to put a stop to it before some innocent people get hurt,” the homeowner said.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cherokee-coun ... -them/407362161

"... deputies spotted his wife out back and quickly realized it was all a hoax."

If people are going to "discuss" or "argue" with these scammers, perhaps they should go outside the house, in the front, and sit on a chair with a portable phone in their hand, while talking with the scammers. When the cops show up, hand the phone to them so the cops can talk to the scammer.

All the more reason to let all incoming calls on landlines to go to an answering machine; that way the scammers have no idea if anyone is home at the time of the call.

Not a bad idea, until the day the victim is shot dead, on the premise that over-amped police mistook the person's mobile phone for a weapon.

Before the chuckles start, here's a recent lawsuit story from Houston detailing the in-home murder of a man, apparently clinically depressed, celebrating Father's Day 2015. A police sergeant shot the man dead despite the lack of aggressive movement, in part because Dad would not "disarm" himself of a cordless drill with no bit in the chuck. The LEO had just been told by the victim's wife the drill was empty. The officer's excuse became the headline.

'Trained to Kill' for What?
http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/06/29/trained-to-kill-for-what.htm

The "swatter" fake debt thugs are exploiting a one-size-fits-many police response to domestic threat reports. Police need better information and the patience to use it. I think there was a story some weeks back in which the fraud victim called police to give notice of the South Asian SWAT threat. This had the effect of extinguishing the proverbial bomb fuse before it could burn an inch.

Quote:

The "swatter" fake debt thugs are exploiting a one-size-fits-many police response to domestic threat reports.

And, there was no mistaking the thug's thick accent in the playback of the 911 call. How could the dispatcher have possibly not questioned this? I guess it is because they are trained to take all calls seriously---another reason for the exploitation.

That why if one does chose to engage these crooks rather than block them, it is best to call them back with a *67 so that they cannot do a search and link your phone with a house# and address. Usually best to block them but sometimes it is empowering to string them along a while and then call them out on their crimes.

Jerry -
If you believe that anonymously arguing with a stranger on a phone is "empowering", you live in a different reality than the rest of us.
Remember ... in such cases, you do NOT have control over the situation!

No, you don't. These scumbags already have a chip on their shoulders the size of a Mack Truck and are looking for someone to knock it off when they call, and no one needs to give them a reason to do it. I'm certainly not--which is why I never answer calls from unknown numbers to begin with.