This is an Emergency Call

I get messages from the IRS, too. I just delete them.

@akalinus @just4him Okay, I want to know what the two of you have been doing that makes the scammers target you like that? I haven't gotten any calls like that (But I already explained why I wouldn't get scam phone calls.) or emails like that, either. (My email address is out there, like everyone else's.) I have no clue why I haven't gotten scam messages via email, though. What am I doing wrong?

@akalinus So do I.

@silvermist Usually, that is the case. I have gotten these phony messages, also.

@akalinus That's true. It's more than just the money. I can imagine that those who fall victim must feel bad afterwards.

@dodo19 Yes, I can only imagine. I know I would feel bad if I got hooked into something like that.

Yes, I do, too. When you are the victim, you lose more than just money. You feel bad that you got caught in it and it flattens your self esteem.

@moffittjc Hmmm... Jeff? Have you actually checked to see if those alerts work? Why don't I help you check that? Tell me the numbers on your credit cards and I will pretend to buy stuff with them. If the alerts work, I shouldn't be able to complete the transactions, right? (grinning and awaiting your reply to this!)

@DaddyEvil You're so funny, DE.

I think they are just hoping some of the people they reach will belong to that bank and be scared of a problem.

@DesirousDreamer Your license will expire tomorrow. Send $150 to my Paypal if you want to use the Internet. lol

Yep, I lost my internet license. I don't remember ever applying for one. It is funny.

@akalinus Who knew we had to be licensed to use the internet. haha

Yes, they just want money and they don't care what they have to say to get you to hand it over. Shameful!

@amitkokiladitya Some people think you owe them.

@akalinus yes it us really insane

When people catch onto one scam, they start another.

It must be mostly in the USA, then. You never got any kind of hoax call online or on the phone??

@akalinus No, we haven't. I know that we're lucky. A common, mean and, unfortunately, successful trick is to call old people and tell them that their grandson/daughter had an accident and needs money for an immediate operation. This is absolute nonsense but many old people fall for it and go to the bank to hand over thousands of Euros to a 'friend' of said grandson/daughter. Old people are found by combing through telephone directories to find old-fashioned first names. Many oldies have been saved by bank clerks who've been alerted to watch out for old people who suddenly take out thousands of Euros from their bank accounts. They call the police if the old person seems to be under pressure. Years ago young men used to call us to talk us into buying shares at the New York stock exchange, but they stopped doing so when we didn't react.

@MALUSE I have a friend who lost $5,000 on a version of the scam. The grandson called from Canada and said there was an accident and he was in jail. He needed money for bail and to leave the country. The caller had info about the grandson. Later, my friend found that the grandson was in Colorado and everything was fine.

Special offers means that we have some junk you don't want or need and we want to charge you an exorbitant price for it. It will be broken when it gets there.

@akalinus

I would just hang up. Then, look on your bank statement for the telephone number and call them to see if there is a problem with your account. If the number is not there, look up your bank number online. Never call the number back and NEVER give them any information.

I get those calls. How do you report something to the IRS?

@akalinus I just called them up and they were going to have the FBI investigate it. You can, also, call the FBI directly.