Frauds & Scams

Don’t Be a Scam Victim—You’re in Control

May 16, 2016 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: June 30, 2021

IRSWith the tax season wrapping up, scammers are out in full force. Perhaps you received a phone call demanding payment from the IRS. They may threaten you with legal action if you do not pay immediately, or say things like, “we are sending the police to arrest you.” While these calls may seem scary, it is important to understand that they are not legitimate. This scam, which started in October 2013, has claimed over $29 million from its victims. Unfortunately, this is just one of many scams designed to make you believe you are speaking with a legitimate government official.

Scammers use many tactics in an attempt to force victims to give out information, and sometimes money, via telephone or email. In Social Security related scams, they often call under a guise of helping you complete a disability application, asking you for your Social Security number or banking information.

Whether they are with Social Security or the IRS, a government employee will never do some things as part of official agency business, including:

  • Call you to demand an immediate payment.
  • Demand that you pay a debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
  • Require a specific means of payment, such as requiring you to pay with a prepaid debit card.
  • Ask you for your personal information or credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
  • Threaten you with arrest or deportation.

Any legitimate request from a government agency will come to you in writing. Additionally, if you do receive a call from a government official, they will be able to provide you with a telephone number and extension. If you receive one of these scam calls or emails, do not provide them with any information. You should:

  • Hang up immediately.
  • For Social Security impersonations, contact Social Security’s Office of Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
  • For IRS impersonations, contact the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at www.treasury.gov/tigta, using the “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” page.
  • Contact the Federal Trade Commission on FTC.gov.

If you are attempting to conduct business with any government agency, or you have received a notice from such an agency, please utilize the telephone numbers provided in the notification. Additionally, you can find contact information on any .gov website such as ssa.gov or irs.gov.

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About the Author

Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications

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  5. andrew

    When I get such a call I inform them they they have reached a secret government agency https://is.gd/7FxyOo and the phone # is only given to field agents. If they call again they’ll suffer termination by extreme prejudice.

  6. Leslie N.

    Leslie Nichols again about Dillard’s perjury.They called me daily with egregious screaming and intolerant voices while I was depressed. They also sent me a letter that they were sorry I was hurt and if there is anything I can do they would help.
    I called Mandy who had told me I was all tangled up and asked her why she lied and said I fell casually, gracefully and she apologized. I am severely depressed and deserve justice.
    I met the judge at a party and told him what happened and he told my friend that this is the worse he had felt in his 17 years as an appellate judge. I feel he did not read my writ.
    and all the while my attorney never spoke with me because of my pain he hated to hear my voice. Joe Albe did not fight my case as an attorney should.
    I would tell him they were lying and he never cross examined. Even I had written notes to him in court claiming they were lying he said nothing.
    I suffer daily and I need help. I have no family except in Alaska No one to help me and my mortgage is the same as my SSI income. Also on Snap… the government has been done wrong and so have I>

  7. Leslie N.

    Was in an accident and was hurt badly, won the case with the judge and now have had 3 spinal cord surgeries and 3 knee surgeries: however, Dillard’s sued me for falling and somehow one in the appeals. This was wrong and SS paid for all bills. I fell at dillards and they lied in the courts and wrongfully accused me of staged slip and fall, the accused me of making more money than 645 people in cosmetics and that did not work the accused a car that hit me on my way to the doctor for the fall. I was not hurt by the car, Then later accused me of going and riding in Mardi Gras which I did was so sorry I went I was in pain the whole time. They said without evidence that I fell. I did not fall. I sat the whole ride, in pain.
    I won the case with the judge because they showed photos of a blonde dancing and it was not me. So now I have two more surgeries to go I was close to paralisis 3 time and that was why I had spinal cord surgery all from the fall. I am certain of this because the same aches and pains immediately after the fall I reported to the manager. I was tired and went home then went to the Doctor the next day and said if I am only bruised I will not sue. Later found out I would be in a wheelchair if I did not have surgery. So I asked Dillard’s to help me through this and they sued ME..
    So when I was hurt at Dillard’s there were no caution signs and I worked in cosmetics and four of the retail girls were jealous of my revenue that they followed me all over the place taking my customers.
    When I went to lunch, they were at the door and with no caution sign they told me to be cautious, I looked down and saw nothing. So I walked and a associate had vomited: however, the janitor told me that someone had thrown an oily substance in the vomit and I saw no vomit, so I slipped where the janitor thought was clean but there was oil and I slipped. My manager Mandy told me that I was twisted badly and I knew because my neck and shoulder were in pain and I felt my arm come out like a rubber band then came back the feeling was different, severe yet fleeting. I had impinged my spinal cord and torn my shoulder and hurt my knee which I was limping on anyway.
    I court all three witnesses said I fell gently, gracefully and easy as if I staged the fall. This was a lie because the manager told me different then got on stand and and said I fell gracefully. Today I cannot work and SS paid for all my medical bills when Dillard’s attorney, handed them all a piece of paper to read before they got on stand and one of the witnesses said I fell on a different side of the door than the others did. My attorney was not helping the only thing he did is when my manager said I did sue he got up and told her I had not sued.
    I just asked for financial help to get though my pains.
    Sis years later and six surgeries later, After the judge was in my favor after a call back about the Mardi Gras incident which should not have been brought up in court. It was just the fifth excuse Dillard’s attorney put against me. They all lied (perjury) and the consequences I limped away without a job, help or sorry. When brought back to the judge because Mardi Gras was not brought up to my attorney. I did not fall at the Mardi Gras and was not hurt by the car pushing my car. I was on my way to the chiropractor and workers comp Dr. I was in severe pain Also I went back to work because if I was only bruised I thought I would work they would let me off after a few hours and I would go home with numb fingers,limping and hurting more that before and back was burning terribly .. ( I am single and needed to pay my mortgage timely also I was in the middle of a refinance.) So I felt I had to go to work not knowing how badly I was hurt. Well I am not in a wheelchair; however, I am 35 years in cosmetology and cannot do my profession.
    Overall I lost the appeal and do not understand but this bid conglomerate Dillard’s was let off leaving me in the hospitals for one time a month because I couldn’t walk. I have not had the shoulder fixed because six times under in surgery I am afraid yet I hurt constantly.
    The moral to the whole story is I lost the case I should have won. I was a very hard worker ( number 1 out of 65 in sales) I was the professional and a retail clerk took me to the office and tattled that I claimed I was a cosmetologist and Aesthetician, which I am . Just jealousy.
    So Dillard’s was set free by appeals and SS had to pay for all my surgeries 3 by a neurosurgeon I have titanium from C3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 all which had impinged my spinal cord..causing pre paralysis which was partly only partly reversed I will live with pain the rest of my life and I now am 62 and there are judgements of people my age in the work force and I am not certain I can work … I also Have fecal incontinence from the nerve damage which makes it difficult to work.
    So SS had to pay all medical bills and I am struggling to pay my bills and eat.
    I do not understand why SS did not help me or pay for the surgeries which could have been fought in the court.
    This is an injustice and I would like to be backed up from you. There is a clause even though it has been 6 years, because I was still going through surgeries the case can be reopened.
    Please help you and me for false representation.
    Leslie R. Nichols

    Also this was in February 2012 and my house caught fire in December 2012 I was in severe depression. I also went to Mr Gonzales at the SS office in Terrytown and told him that this was not for the government to pay because Dillard’s lied and would not send me the video as their attorney Azalie Shelby had promised me if I would divulged information I did she didn’t she said they did not have the video which would clearly shown that I was hurt badly and did not fall gracefully nor staged my fall. Two weeks after my fall, I called the video room and they were certain that they had sent my video to Dillard’s Corp. immediately. So the video did show a bad fall. they lied and said they did not have it after she said she would send it to me. We were both wronged. HELP to get justice.
    504 913-2026
    Leslie R. Nichols

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