ALTON - Joan Bensman received a call that many in the area seem to be getting these days that is a scam using the Internal Revenue Service as bait.
Bensman said her caller had the following line: “Hello, we have made several attempts to reach you… The reason for this call is to inform you that the IRS is filing a lawsuit against you.”
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As soon as Bensman, 79, heard those words she said she hung up and automatically knew it was a scam.
“I remembered immediately the stories I’d read, so I just hung up after the first couple of sentences,” she said. “It was scary. For someone unaware, it could really upset them. I immediately Googled it to make sure my memory was right. I also reported it to the government site on line. The caller ID number was 479-502-6031."
Users on websites like CallerCenter.com have shared their experiences with calls from this particular number, saying that it was a spam call.
Illinois State Trooper Heath Bryan said typically the scammers like the IRS scam artist try to prey on older people who may not be informed. He said the IRS never contacts someone on the phone first, that it always communicates through the U.S. Postal Service, which is the first clue that it could be a scam.
Bryan said the next step in the scam is usually to ask for a credit card number or Social Security number. He urged people never to give those out in these types of situations on the phone.
“It is a real shame these people would prey on the trust or feelings of an elderly person,” he said. “Fifty years ago, we didn’t have cell phones or the Internet and now everything is electronic. Some of the elderly are not as versed on electronics as the younger people, which can cause a problem.”
Bensman and Bryan had the same advice to other people who receive the IRS scam calls: write down the phone number, hang up the phone and contact law enforcement authorities immediately.
