Did you know that over 2.4 million Americans fall for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scams? Most of these calls don’t even come from the United States! They are a mix of local and international con artists who prey on the vulnerable and gullible. They are definitely the lowest of the low.
These hardened scammers definitely need a taste of their own medicine. There is no better way to even the score than through prank calls!
What Is an IRS Scam?
Before you even attempt to prank call these IRS scammers, you need to know what you are up against. While it may seem like just a call - they are masters of manipulation. They pose as collection officers and pressure their victims to hand over cash. You might be surprised by how creative they can be on the call. They get their payments through credit cards, wired cash, and gift cards from Apple, Amazon, and Google Play.
Common IRS and Tax Scam Calls
There is more than one type of tax scam. The Internal Revenue Service released its “dirty dozen” list. It covers 12 common IRS scam calls. Out of these 12 methods - 5 are over the phone. That is almost half of the list! These people don’t need to be in the same room, much less the same country, to get their victims.
Here are the 5 common IRS and social security scam calls:
Bogus Officer Threats
We all know someone who likes to throw their weight around. The best example of this is the “Karen” stereotype. They come in acting like they know everything and wave around big threats without actually having any power. IRS impersonators are similar. They say all kinds of things to get their victims to do what they want.
In most scams, they try to coax and convince, but here they will threaten outright. Prison! Deportation! No Licenses! They tell you all kinds of things to force you to pay your “back taxes.”
Taxes 101 - they never ask for payment outright, much less threaten you over the phone. So whenever you get a tax call demanding cash upfront? It is probably a scam. Even those that sound “official” is just a text-to-speech message, aka a robocall. Trust that they use every method at their disposal to make you call back.
Senior Fraud
Senior citizens are one of the most targeted sectors for IRS scams - so much, so it is its own category! Considering the fast-paced changes in society, it’s easy to see why the elderly are easily convinced. How do they know if the information they have is current? The law could have changed for all they know and have tons of back taxes.
IRS impersonators usually use the carrot and stick method. They alternate between sweet-talking and bullying seniors into paying their “taxes.” Seniors end up handing over their personal information, money, or both. Scammers love senior citizens because they can become a long-term victim. They can call back at any time and have a guaranteed amount.
Immigrant/ Non-English Speaker Scam
Right after the senior citizens are the immigrants and non-English speakers. They are the next most targeted sector. These scammers know that the majority of these people are probably new to the country. And a new country means new laws.
If these immigrants haven’t settled yet, they are very vulnerable. IRS impersonators make all kinds of threats. Deportation, jail, money - these are all common terms that non-English speakers know. They don’t need to be fluent in English to understand that they are in trouble.
Fake Charities
While it’s heart-warming to see people step-up during times of crisis, not everyone is so caring. Others use the situation to their advantage and pose as fake charities. They create a whole facade with a dummy website and hotline number. They use all kinds of tactics to redirect the cash from the victims to their own pockets.
So, how do they do it? They pose as IRS officers soliciting for donations. They lull their victims into a false sense of security with jargon and steal your personal info.
These scammers know how to play the field. They don’t just target do-gooders, but the direct victims of the crisis as well. They’ll bring up casualty claims and tax refunds. At the end of the day, everyone ends up being a little more jaded than they have to be.
Refund Theft
Not all IRS scams are out to get money, at least not a first. The IRS refund scams call to steal your identity and file false tax refunds in your name. There are several versions of this. Besides tax refunds, they also target economic impact payments (EIP) and economic security act (CARES) funds.
There are two ways they go about it:
- They will help you claim the funds.
- The money was supposed to be theirs, to begin with.
For the first method, they usually pose as a famous accounting agency. They are here to help you. Just give them the relevant personal information like your name, social security number, and credit card. They can handle the rest - not!
For the second method, they pretend to be a third-party institution or organization. Their go-to choice is retirement homes and similar care facilities. If you didn’t know, EIPs and the like go straight to you - not anyone else, never anyone else.
It’s one thing to ask for money - it’s another to pose as a government agency and steal from the vulnerable. The government works around the clock to shut these scammers down. As a result, there are many international lawsuits chasing them down. Unfortunately, these scammers are like cockroaches, and they breed like crazy. One group might go to jail, but what about the other one hundred? This is where you can come in.
IRS Scammer Numbers To Prank Call
.As a seasoned prankster, you can keep their phone lines busy. Before you prank call, create a fake character with all the relevant details listed down. When you have your bio information, it makes it easier to keep your story straight. And the more realistic you are as a target - the more you waste their time.
Your fake profile should be complete with a full name, date of birth, place of birth, address. If you pose as an officer, make a fake badge number too to really sell the character.
When you are ready to prank call these IRS impersonators - mask your personal phone number. If you don’t know how to mask your number, check out our blog: How to call from a different number.
Here are our top 15 IRS scammer numbers you can call, have fun trolling them!
| IRS Scammer Numbers | ||
| 1-860-397-4337 | 229-506-7845 | 528-342-7802 |
| 1-877-919-0791 | 281-962-5569 | 866-435-7051 |
| 1-888-889-2826 | 209-510-5376 | 815-694-6977 |
| 1-509-381-4384 | 505-273-7825 | 803-590-2726 |
| 1-678-719-4917 | 509 557 3914 | 918-302-1710 |
* Scammer numbers change everyday, especially with the US government breathing down their backs. They may or may not work. If it doesn’t work - celebrate! It means one less scammer on the loose. If it does work … you know what to do.
Since the IRS is vigilant against these scams, it can be slim pickings for new scammer numbers. They are always on the run, so their contact details rarely stay the same.
If you are looking for IRS scammer numbers, you can check out Reddit’s r/ScamNumbers and Scammer.info. These websites regularly have new numbers you can prank call. Users often share scam numbers they encounter.
Sometimes it is a passive like seeing the number on a website. Other times they are victims as well, and these are active numbers who called them. When you hang out in these forums, you learn to work around these scams.
If you are looking for prank call ideas, Ownage Pranks has a ton you can try! Check out our different scenarios, scripts, and videos for inspiration. No experience prank calling?
We’ve got you covered. Check out our step-by-step instructions for how to prank call.
Remember!
These IRS scammers treat these calls like a business. While no one can get a degree for stealing cash, they’ve had plenty of practice. Even if they don’t get your money, they can get your personal information. Phone number, your name, your city - all these details go into a file, and you can become the next target.
They may not seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, but they aren’t here for the elegant con ala Ocean’s Eleven. They are here to get cold, hard cash.
That being said, not everyone can make these prank calls. If you’d rather do the responsible thing, report the scam numbers to the IRS. Remember to follow the recommended steps to keep your tax info to yourself.
If you still want to stage a prank but would rather have someone else do it - you can request a prank call. Just give us the information, and Ownage Pranks will get to work!
Regardless of what you decide to do, remember that these scammers need a taste of their own medicine. Have fun deciding what kind of justice you want to serve up!
Happy Pranking!
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