Phone Call

[S T]

Well now, this is just too bizarre!
10PM at night here in NC, my husband's cell phone rings (which by the way is unlisted Calif#), no real person on the other end , then there is a recording that starts to play.

Something to the effect "this is a public service announcement from the IRS, due to the advance rebates, blah,blah, blah, you need to file a tax return. If you do not have a professional to prepare this return, please press 1, and someone will provide you with a list of preparers in your area, press another # (I forgot what it was and we will remove you from our list).

Needless to say, how in the world could IRS have my husband's unlisted cell phone #, never used on any tax returns, for that matter, I don't list any phone # on our personal tax returns, and since when does IRS make an automated phone call that is a public service announcement.

Wonder how many other taxpayers across the US are receiving these phone calls.

Sandy

[oceanlovin'ea]

Scam

wonder if this is part of the scams that are going around. Maybe the names they give you are not real tax professionals.

That is scary.

Linda F

[Jesse]

Or do they actually give you preparers or a direct link to Turbo Tax, HRB, JH, Liberty or one of the national chains that possibly bought a list of cell #'s from the major phone co's such as Sprint, US Cellular, AT&T, etc.........

[taxxcpa]

Don't call my cell phone

I never turn my cell phone on and only keep it in case I need to make an emergency call, so they would be wasting their time trying to scam me that way. I hang up the minute someone starts a sales pitch or solicitation of any kind, commercial, political, charitable or other kind.

[gkaiseril]

Random Dailer

Sounds like some California techie type put together a random dialer and turned it lose.

If you have the phone number in your cell phone's log or bill, turn it in to the FTC for them to pursue. Since cell phones pay for incoming calls, it is against federal law for telemarketers to randomly call them. If enough complaints come in against that number, the FTC will take action.

[Nashville]

Enforcement

Kaiser, very good advice and sounds like the smart thing to do.

Problem is, there is virtually no money to enforce these things. And I've tried to tag along with some of these pests long enough to find out who they are and get a street address on them. Virtually impossible.

Remember the wave of legislations a few years back where the various states established the "Do Not Call" registries? I get more telephone solicitations now than I did before I signed up. Just try and get someone to enforce these laws and you will see what I am talking about.

The scenario is all too familiar. I'm burning the trash with mud on my work shoes, or taking a shower or something else awkward when the phone rings. I am perhaps expecting calls so I rush to the phone. There is a momentary silence, then someone from Asia starts talking in broken English: "Mr. Jordan, how are you doing today (as if they really care)? We want to thank you for being such a wonderful customer (fact is, I may not even BE a customer). Because you are so important to us, we want to propose this exclusive ....")

There ought to be some way for this scene to go the way of the Dodo bird.