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Does the IRS call from blocked numbers?

  • Does the IRS call from blocked numbers? (Scam attempt details inside) We got a call this evening (after hours on the eve of a holiday) on our home phone from a blocked number ("Private name, Private Number") from a "Mrs. Russell" claiming to be calling from the IRS and asking for me by name. As my spouse handed me the phone, I accidentally disconnected the call. A minute later she called my cell phone number (which showed the caller as "Blocked"), again asking for me by name and introducing herself as Mrs. Russell. She gave me an agent number (which I neglected to write down, flustered as I was) and then immediately asked me to give her my address and social security number "to verify my information", which of course set off all kinds of warning bells. When I said I was not comfortable giving my address or social security number over the phone she said "I understand, if you prefer you can call us back tonight or on Friday at 1-800-829-3903, but if you choose to call us back you may have to wait on hold for 30-45 minutes. If you want to verify your information with me then you won't have to wait." I told her I would call the number back and she said "That's fine, Have a Happy Thanksgiving, have a good night, sir." A quick Google search for the number turns up dozens (hundreds?) of other reports pretty much exactly like this; generally agreeing that it's a scam. However, there are also a few reports saying "It's a legit IRS number. I called back and they had mixed up my contact info with someone else's account, but I got it straightened out." The phone number does appear on the IRS' web site, and when I called it I got a standard "Thank you for calling the Internal Revenue Service. Our office is now closed, please call back during normal business hours" voice recording. I know of no reason the IRS should be contacting me, and find it very doubtful that any legitimate call from them would 1. Come from a blocked number, and 2. Ask me for my SSN. This is nothing more than a scam using just enough factual/official sounding information to seem plausible, right? The legit IRS phone number was just to make me think "Oh, well if she's giving me a call-back number then it must be legit. I'll just give her this information now so I don't have to wait on hold when I call back!" I will probably call the IRS' main 800 number on Friday for my own peace of mind and to report the scam attempt, but my core question here is, would the IRS ever call from a blocked number after business hours? (Asked anonymously out of heightened paranoia.)

  • Answer:

    Welcome to Metafilter, Texano. I see you joined today. If you ever call my house, don't expect me to give out my SSN. 100% scam.

anonymous at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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100% guaranteed scam, not a chance in hell that's legit.

facetious

From Texano's http://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-001-003.html#d0e3356 21.1.3.24 4. The IRS does not ask for personal identifying or financial information in unsolicited electronic mail (e-mail), telephone calls, or postal mail.

cnanderson

Texano... isn't that exactly what a scammer would say?!?!

parkerjackson

Every single interaction I've ever had with the IRS has started with a letter. FYI.

BlahLaLa

I bet they give out the real IRS number as a ruse, hoping you won't get through and then they, the scammers, will call you back and attempt to get your info again.

lee

From the OP:I called the main IRS 800 number (800-829-1040) today and it turns out the call was legit - they needed to straighten out a detail on my 2009 return (which was filed a bit later this year on an extension). The agent I spoke to today seemed surprised that I hadn't received anything in the mail prior to the call, and what the original agent I spoke to neglected to do was: 1. Give me the last four digits of my SSN and ask me to verify the first five, and 2. Give me a case number to refer to when I called back.

jessamyn

I know of no business that would require its representatives to refer to themselves by "Mrs." or "Mr." anything. That's the kind of thing I've only ever seen in 419 scams.

katillathehun

I'm sadly in a job where the IRS calls me a lot. It always says IRS on the caller Id

bananafish

Hi! I work at the IRS, and as someone who makes outbound calls like this, I can tell you -- this sounds completely LEGIT to me. I know it seems completely counterintuitive, but we're required to verify the identity of the person who answers the phone even if we're calling the phone number we have on file. We have crazy strict privacy and information disclosure rules, and we're required to take these really strange steps, like asking the person on the line for their own social security number. Here is the relevant portion of our handbook, which lists the procedure for outbound calls (look for section 21.1.1.7, numbers 18 and 19) http://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-001-001.html And this lists the questions we're supposed to ask to verify your identity (look for section 21.1.3.2.3, number 5) http://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-001-003.html Also, the phone numbers in my office are definitely blocked. If I ever get a blocked call on my phone I tend to just assume it's my boss calling. In addition, people like myself are answering incoming calls for most of the day, which means any outgoing calls I make are going to be in the late afternoon/early nighttime. In addition to that, we have a large night shift contingent whose hours go until 1 AM, and they make outgoing calls too. ** Another thought: we have major call centers in all time zones, so if you're on the East Coast and someone in our California center calls you, it might not be "after hours" for them. Why would you receive a phone call as opposed to a letter? Oftentimes, if I need a minor piece of information to resolve whatever issue I'm working on, and I see that you've provided your phone number, I will try to call you so I can get the issue settled that day, instead of sending you a letter and waiting for a response (some people reply promptly, but many -- most I'd say -- take around a month to respond). I absolutely understand why you thought this was a scam. Hell, if I didn't work there myself, I would have thought this was a Grade-A phishing scheme. But strange though it may seem, this has all the hallmarks of a valid IRS call to me. Hope this helps! Your friendly neighborhood tax man, - texano

texano

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