# The Income Tax/Criminal Charges Phone Scam Can't Be Legal, Can It? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542 "2018-06-06T14:28:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/21 "2018-06-07T18:40:37Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’m not assuming they’re doing nothing; I do think they’re not doing _enough_. When it’s just scammers taking private citizens’ money, I expect the government to throw their hands up and say, “Too bad, so sad - nothing _we_ can do,” but these scams are actually impersonating a branch of federal governments; that seems like a thing that they would try really hard to stop. Again, they have \*no budget to do more. \*The GOP has cut their budget. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/22 "2018-06-07T19:16:14Z")
[Here’s one attempt to spread the word.](http://comicskingdom.com/sally-forth/2018-05-28) Note that the link is to the first of 6 strips. One thing that has surprised me - I have never seen a claim from somebody who “fought back” or just hung up, only to have the scammers call at all hours of the day and night in retaliation. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/23 "2018-06-07T19:31:38Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Note: The calls _enter_ the country via VoIP, but to call a regular land line or cell phone they have to be _routed thru the standard phone network_. This is _not free_, it costs _real_ money. They have to get a _contract_ with a teleco operating in the US to do this. > > It doesn’t take much software nowadays to note that one of your clients is setting the Caller ID to the same first 6 digits of millions of calls per day they are making. That flags them as spammers and they lose their contract. So the spammers will randomly assign caller ids, which they are doing already since they spoof numbers close to the number they are calling. That won’t work. > [@](#): > > A legit teleco would force clients signing up to specifiy the set of Caller IDs they will be using. Those numbers are checked to make sure they are not faking someone else’s numbers. And if the clients go outside that set, they are cut off. The VoIP provider is no doubt in India, not here. What percentage of their calls are from spammers? Is the local telco going to block an entire provider? Including legit calls on it? And when the spammers move to another one? If we could get the providers over there to block calls it would be good. But as I said, India is where the real corruption is. > [@](#): > > But not all such services are legit. They are very, very happy to take the scammer’s money. Indeed. If the Indian police would do more raids, we might get somewhere, but the scammers are providing employment there and ripping us off here, so I doubt it will happen. > [@](#): > > NoMoRobo? I haven’t gotten the standard two rings and a hangup for a blocked call in two years. They all do the local number thing now. I get supposedly local calls blocked by NoMoRobo all the time. About four in the last hour. They can see a pattern. The one that get through, which will happen if you are early in the calling list, go to the answering machine where they hang up before a message is even recorded. I say we should spread a rumor that these call centers in India have insulting cartoons of the prophet hanging on their walls, and let ISIS take care of them. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/24 "2018-06-07T19:40:36Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > [Here’s one attempt to spread the word.](http://comicskingdom.com/sally-forth/2018-05-28) Note that the link is to the first of 6 strips. > > One thing that has surprised me - I have never seen a claim from somebody who “fought back” or just hung up, only to have the scammers call at all hours of the day and night in retaliation. One scammer who tried to tell me he needed to shut off my internet access did call back, but it was easy to block his number, since I think directed calls don’t go through the caller id randomizer. Someone a while back posted a link to a YouTube video for a site you can forward these calls to. A bot answers them and keeps them on the line as long as possible, and drives them even crazier than Ted did in the linked comic. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/25 "2018-06-07T19:40:39Z")
My Dad in Canada got a call saying one of his sons had been texting and was in a car accident, so the accident was his fault. Dad was told his son was now in a holding cell at court and needed $4,000 or so for bail money. He said the caller was very sympathetic and convincing. Dad believed what he was being told, but still had some suspicions. He asked to speak to his son, and Dad asked the person posing as his Son some questions like the name of his wife, but the person on the other end was crying and mumbling. They explained this by saying the airbag went off and there was facial bruising. Dad is not naive, but he said they were convincing. Dad said he was willing to pay the money, but when asked what credit card to use, they said he would have to pay using Steam play cards. Dad had no idea what this was, but we know. This call that went on for about an hour. Finally Dad did hang up, called his son on his cell, and the son asked cheerily what’s up? Still they put Mom and Dad through misery for an hour. I was so upset for them. The callers are really the scum of the earth. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/26 "2018-06-07T19:48:51Z")
One thing I have seen on my Samsung phone which I really like for caller ID - Probable Scam or Fraud. I can also mark phone numbers as scammers. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/27 "2018-06-07T22:07:38Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Again, they have \*no budget to do more. \*The GOP has cut their budget. Since **Cat Whisperer** is posting from Canada about the CRA, it’s sorta irrelevant what the GOP is doing down south. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/28 "2018-06-07T22:20:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Since **Cat Whisperer** is posting from Canada about the CRA, it’s sorta irrelevant what the GOP is doing down south. 😉 But this thread is about\*\* BOTH\*\*. So, your post is not needed, thank you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/29 "2018-06-07T22:22:41Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > So the spammers will randomly assign caller ids, which they are doing already since they spoof numbers close to the number they are calling. That won’t work. That’s the part that most annoys me. It used to be that out of state or area numbers were more likely to be spam or scam. Now, with everyone holding onto their cell phone number when they move all over, and the tightening of area codes, it is actually more likely that if I see a number with my local exchange, they are not a legitimate caller. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/30 "2018-06-07T23:07:03Z")
[Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13Vv4n__J8) an interesting video that I watched a few weeks ago about this subject. The whole thing is very interesting but if you skip to around 15:45, you’ll see someone speaking on behalf of the CRTC (the Canadian version of the FCC, I believe) saying that if they could find these people they would do something about it. The host then explains that _he_ found them, so surely the CRTC can find them as well. She then brushed it off by saying something along the lines of [very paraphrased] ‘I know a few people are being bothered by these telemarketers/scammers, but there’s nothing we can do about it’. Many people in that video also complain that the DNC list has done nothing. While I’ll first say that scammers aren’t looking at the DNC list, I really don’t think anyone does. Maybe the really legit, 100% complaint businesses do, but I doubt many people do. As was said earlier, the police in the area where the calls are originating have to be the ones to deal with this, I’m surprised, after all these years, the problem has gotten so much worse, to the point where most/many people don’t even bother answering their phones anymore. Regarding that video, the CBC has put out a ton of those, they’re really good. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/31 "2018-06-07T23:08:30Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > That’s the part that most annoys me. It used to be that out of state or area numbers were more likely to be spam or scam. Now, with everyone holding onto their cell phone number when they move all over, and the tightening of area codes, it is actually more likely that if I see a number with my local exchange, they are not a legitimate caller. There may be an app to do this, I really haven’t looked, but I keep saying that I want to blacklist any phone numbers that start with my area code/prefix, except the ones in my contact list. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/32 "2018-06-08T05:12:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Again, they have \*no budget to do more. \*The GOP has cut their budget. I believe you, that the GOP has cut budgets, but I don’t believe that that is the motivating factor in governments in North America not doing as much as possible to squelch these outrageous scams. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Since **Cat Whisperer** is posting from Canada about the CRA, it’s sorta irrelevant what the GOP is doing down south. 😉 > [@DrDeth](#): > > But this thread is about\*\* BOTH\*\*. So, your post is not needed, thank you. 😉 We’re seeing the same scams in both countries, and we’re seeing the virtually complete lack of response on the part of the federal government in both countries. These are governments that demand to know if anyone takes more than $20,000 cash out of their own goddamned bank accounts, and they can’t do _anything_ to stop these miserable scams? My conscious suspension of disbelief is straining. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/33 "2018-06-08T05:15:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13Vv4n__J8) an interesting video that I watched a few weeks ago about this subject. The whole thing is very interesting but if you skip to around 15:45, you’ll see someone speaking on behalf of the CRTC (the Canadian version of the FCC, I believe) saying that if they could find these people they would do something about it. The host then explains that _he_ found them, so surely the CRTC can find them as well. She then brushed it off by saying something along the lines of [very paraphrased] ‘I know a few people are being bothered by these telemarketers/scammers, but there’s nothing we can do about it’. \ I watched that episode of “Marketplace,” and that was one (amongst many) that had me and my husband both swearing loudly at the tv. That continues to be the government’s answer to scams like this, that they can’t do anything. I thought maybe since the latest scam has scammers impersonating the federal government they might take an interest, but apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/34 "2018-06-08T10:56:03Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > [Here’s one attempt to spread the word.](http://comicskingdom.com/sally-forth/2018-05-28) Note that the link is to the first of 6 strips. > > One thing that has surprised me - I have never seen a claim from somebody who “fought back” or just hung up, only to have the scammers call at all hours of the day and night in retaliation. That literally happened to me once, scammer called me at dinner and threatened me for unpaid taxes on lottery winnings despite the fact I don’t play the lottery. Told him a simple “Fuck you” since he was aggressive right off the back and spent the next six hours hearing every phone in my house go off every 3 minutes for a minute straight like clockwork. If I’d pick up I’d hear the line cut then when I hung up it would immediately start ringing again. Eventually I turned off all the phones except the one in my kitchen and went to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/35 "2018-06-08T23:22:11Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13Vv4n__J8) an interesting video that I watched a few weeks ago about this subject. All of those bloody duct cleaning calls are coming from Karachi?? You learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/36 "2018-06-09T00:08:30Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > That literally happened to me once, scammer called me at dinner and threatened me for unpaid taxes on lottery winnings despite the fact I don’t play the lottery. Told him a simple “Fuck you” since he was aggressive right off the back and spent the next six hours hearing every phone in my house go off every 3 minutes for a minute straight like clockwork. If I’d pick up I’d hear the line cut then when I hung up it would immediately start ringing again. Eventually I turned off all the phones except the one in my kitchen and went to sleep. That clown probably got fired for not meeting his scam quotient, so you can feel good about that. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/37 "2018-06-09T00:14:40Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That continues to be the government’s answer to scams like this, that they can’t do anything. I thought maybe since the latest scam has scammers impersonating the federal government they might take an interest, but apparently not. Yeah, they can land a man on the moon, why can’t they catch anonymous scammers? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/38 "2018-06-09T00:20:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Yeah, they can land a man on the moon, why can’t they catch anonymous scammers? Actually, they can. It’s all a matter of budget and priorities. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/39 "2018-06-09T00:41:14Z")
Need to forward all these scams and fraud calls to State and Federal govt. reps. Then something would get done about it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542/40 "2018-06-09T00:47:32Z")
> [@Qwakkeddup](#): > > Need to forward all these scams and fraud calls to State and Federal govt. reps. Then something would get done about it. Why do you think that would increase the budgets needed to actually do something of consequence? They aren’t sitting on their hands-Their hands have been chopped off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-income-tax-criminal-charges-phone-scam-cant-be-legal-can-it/815542.md?page=3)