This woman responds to a phone scam the way you’ve probably always wanted to…
Phone scams are nothing new, in fact, they’re so common that phones are capable to alert you of a possible scam on caller i.d.
When a scammer called @twittysuch claiming she had defaulted on her tax payments, she was happy to play along. See Twitter transcript below.
It finally happened. I finally got a call from a scammer claiming to be the IRS and I could finally pull all of the tax law and privacy law I know out of my brain. This is a good day. This is MY day, people.
— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Would anyone be interested in a summarized transcript because I recorded the call (I won’t release the recorded call because I don’t have the consent of who called me) but I can release a transcript?
— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Some notes, though: I understand and respect that telemarketers (that’s what they are) are just trying to do their jobs. We all have bills to pay. But the IRS phone scam is actually illegal and using threats of police violence or physical violence via the phone is illegal.
— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
THREAD — SUMMARIZED TRANSCRIPT
-I receive a phone call from someone with a Maryland phone number, they identify themselves as being from the IRS and that I have “defaulted” on my tax payments for 2017.— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Considering that uh…tax day isn’t even here yet and I know the IRS will never call you, I decided to put it on speaker phone and fire up Ye Olde Audacity to entertain myself while I wait for my morning tea to steep.
— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Here’s where she had fun with the scammer,
Me: I defaulted on my tax payments? That sounds serious. Why wasn’t I ever sent a bill?
Person: You can take care of it over the phone with me. We take most major credit cards and prepaid Visa gift cards
Me: I’m gonna stop you right there. I want to know why I wasn’t sent a bill.— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Person: We send several bills, you ignored them.
Me: Did I? I think I would have remembered getting a bill from the IRS.
Person: You chose to ignore them.
Me: No, I don’t think I’d ignore a CP523. It’s a pretty distinct looking envelope.— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Person: No, we sent you a bill and–
Me: It’s called a CP523.
Person: What.
Me: The IRS doesn’t send “bills”. They’re not Comcast. They send a CP523. I DID throw away a coupon for one of those Casper mattresses.— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Person: Ma’am, if you don’t take this seriously, we can send the police–
Me: No, you can’t.
Person: I WILL SEND THE POLICE.
Me: Ok, send them. I’ll be waiting.
Person: -silence-
Me: I hear sirens, is that them? (I live next to a fire station) Is that….the police?— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
Person: -silence-
Me: Do y’all take PayPal?
Person: No.
Me: What about bitcoin?
Person: We can take–
Me: You’re committing a federal crime. Did you know that? Did you know you’re breaking the law and you’re not very good at it?
Person: *hangs up*–END THREAD–
— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
I’m sure she felt like a boss once the scammer hung up. I want a scammer to call me now so I can act like I know what I’m talking about based off of her twitter recap!
I mean, to be fair, I DID point out to him that I understand that he’s just doing his job, but asked him if he knew what he’s doing is actually super illegal.
— Let’s Make a Ha-Deel (@twittysuch) April 3, 2018
TUNE INTO THE NIGHT SHOW WITH KEV WEEKDAYS, 7 PM–MIDNIGHT.