It's official...we're afraid of the IRS.
A poll sponsored by the firm CPR Call Blocker reveals that the 'IRS scam,' where somebody calls claiming to be from the agency and demands money now for payment for an alleged back tax debt, frequently with the threat of imminent arrest, is the number one phone scam that Texans have fallen for in the past year.
Bryony Hipkin at CPR Call Blocker says nearly one in five Texans admit to being a victim of a phone scam in the past year, with fully one quarter of those saying they lost 'more than $500 to a scammer.'
That's why they keep doing it..because it works.
The Nigerian Prince may have been retired, but the scams haven't.
CPR Call Blocker says number two is the credit/loan scam, which is probably common in Texas because the scammers usually target military members with offers of credit cards, loans, or credit repair scams.
Number three is the fastest growing type of scam nationwide, what is called the 'Robocall scam.' That can involve automated calls asking 'can you hear me,' eliciting the victim to say 'yes.' Then that 'yes' is pasted into offers for products and services, so the scammer claims to have you on tape agreement to buy, for example, a time share.
Robocalls also are used to get you to cough up personal information, or to buy worthless services, many of them, ironically, programs the scammer says will protect you from scams.
"Scammers have a real knack of finding people when they are at their weakest and most vulnerable and they really exploit that," Hipkin said. She says sometimes scammers will make three or four calls to the victim, to try to become their 'friend,' before the scam is pulled out.
Number four in the list of the most common scams is the lottery or sweepstakes scam. That's when people are told that they have won a prize, but they first have to send a 'processing fee' or some other money to claim the prize. Lottery operators stress that no legitimate lottery ever does that, and no lottery ever awards prizes to people who didn't enter.
And number five in the list of scams that Texans have fallen for is the 'missed call scam.'This one has been around for a while. The scammer calls a cell phone and then hangs up, prompting the victim to return the call. When they do, they find the number is for, say, 'adult services' and they get a charge for it on their cell phone bill.
An amazing number of Texans admit losing money to these scams.
"Don't assume a caller is genuine because they have information about you such as your account details," Hipkin said. "Never give out personal information when answering an incoming call, and if you're not convinced the call is genuine, hang up and call back using the official phone number of the organization.
"89% of Texans say they receive between 5 and 30 'nuisance called' every week, with telephone scams remaining a major problem.
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