The Indiana Attorney General’s Office credits nearly 3,500 complaints filed with his office about an IRS imposter scam for cutting down on the number of phony phone calls. They resulted in a raid in Indiana last month, which broke up the telemarketing ring. Since then Attorney General Greg Zeoller says complaints have dropped from nearly 500 in September to just 67 in October.
In early October, Indian Police arrested 70 people in Mumbai responsible for the so-called IRS imposter scam. In late October the U.S. attorney general’s office arrested nearly 20 alleged co-conspirators in this country. Scam callers claim to be from the IRS and threaten to arrest people unless the immediately pay delinquent taxes.
Zoeller expects another scam to pop up in its place and encourages Hoosiers to continue to be vigilant in not offering personal or financial information to people who contact them by phone.
Zoeller said the best way for people to know whether a call they are receiving is a scam is by registering their number on the Do Not Call list. Legitimate companies will not call numbers on the Do Not Call list, so if someone is on the list and is receiving unsolicited contact, it is likely a scam.
The next quarterly deadline to register cellular and landline residential phone numbers on the Do Not Call list is midnight EST on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The updated list will take effect Jan. 1, 2017.
To sign up or to confirm a number is on the Do Not Call list, visit www.IndianaConsumer.com or call 1-888-834-9969. Consumers do not need to re-register unless their address has changed. To achieve compliance with Indiana law, telemarketing companies may obtain a copy of the list from the Attorney General’s Office.
Avoid getting scammed over the phone by following these tips:
- Don’t let a telephone solicitor pressure you to make an immediate decision.
- Ask for a caller’s contact information and tell them you will call them back.
- Verify that the number they give you is tied to a legitimate company or agency by doing your own research.
- Know that most government entities, including the IRS, will not initiate contact over the phone. Additionally, they will never ask you for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the phone.
- Do not wire any money or make payments over the phone unless you have independently verified the caller.Check unfamiliar companies with the AG’s Office or the Better Business Bureau before agreeing to a purchase.
- Hang up on recorded message calls or “robocalls.” Don’t press any numbers.
Additionally, Zoeller urged Hoosiers to take advantage of available call-blocking options to help stop scam calls. The Attorney General’s Office created a non-exhaustive, call-blocking reference sheet to inform the public about available options and encourage development of new options. This reference sheet outlines various call-blocking applications and information about each option, including who is able to use it, the cost, benefits, and weaknesses, and how to get it.
People who receive an unwanted call or are targeted by a phone scam can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by visiting www.IndianaConsumer.com or calling 1-800-382-5516.
