In a previous post, I warned people about one of many tax-related scams, in which callers pretending to be from the IRS demanded payment for debt owed. Taxpayers were threatened with lawsuits and arrest if they did not comply. (The IRS will NOT call you with this type of information–they will always send mail.)
Yesterday, U.S. News reported that police in Mumbai, India have arrested 70 people involved in a massive phone scam to defraud Americans under the guise of being IRS callers. The scam had been running for approximately a year, netting the perpetrators over $150,000 a day, Mumbai police officer Parag Marere told U.S. News.
There may be perpetrators still at large, but police are questioning over 600 people in addition to the 70 already taken into custody to determine who will be charged. “The criminal charges filed against the suspects include extortion, impersonation and violations of India’s information technology laws.”
Read more of the story here, and don’t forget to contact me right away if you’ve been the victim of any sort of tax fraud!