From ‘Spoofing’ To ‘Swatting,’ Experts Say Results Of Thwarting Scam Calls Mixed

Many calls come from scammers who say they’re with the IRS, FBI or other agency. They threaten arrest unless you pay a fee.

By Paul FlahiveMarch 15, 2018 9:30 am, , , , ,

From Texas Public Radio:

Last Tuesday, the Internal Revenue Service said people were being being bilked out of money by criminals pretending to be from the tax collection agency. Two days later, I received a phone call that my provider said was probably spam. They left a message saying they were from the IRS and I was in big trouble. 

“(After 24 hours), you will be taken into custody by the local cops as there are four serious allegations pressed against your name at this moment,” said the automated voice in broken English.

Roughly 2.4 billion robocalls are made to U.S. consumers each month, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Many are fraudulent, made by people spoofing their number to disguise who they are, and sometimes impersonating others. Spoofing is when a caller uses an app or program to alter their identity on caller identification.

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