“This is the IRS calling.”

Those five words are designed to put you in panic mode. I’ve had almost 40 calls concerning this ploy in the last two weeks.

The caller firmly instructs you to immediately call a telephone number; failure to do so will result in a warrant being issued for your arrest and a visit from the Internal Revenue Service. Most calls are a recorded message; some are live “operators.” Here is the verbatim message from one of these recorded calls:

“This is the Internal Revenue Service. There are legal charges pressed against your name and your state identity is under federal investigation. For further information, please give us a call back on our hotline division at (843) 637-2848. Do not try to disregard this message and do return the call as soon as possible before any legal allegations take place. Thank you, have a great day, from the Internal Revenue Service.”

If they can get you on the phone with an operator, they will ask if you’d like to go to the local IRS office to pay the amount due or would it be more convenient to make payment over the phone using a bank account number or a credit card?

HANG UP! Don’t engage these crooks. Don’t give them any information. If the number is available on your caller ID, write it down and call the TIGTA, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, at (800) 366-4484 and report the call. Or you can go to the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page at: https://www.treasury.gov/Tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml

Do not give out any information to the scammers. Once they get your name, Social Security number or mailing address, you have opened the door to identity theft. If the Internal Revenue Service wants to contact you, it will do so by mail.

Don’t be afraid to come forward and call if you’ve been scammed. Crooks count on people being too embarrassed to report their experience. They then victimize others. Let’s work together to help each other and our community.

QUICK TIP: According to the Idaho Attorney General’s website, “Unordered Merchandise — many Idaho consumers report receiving goods or services they did not order. The most common experience of consumers is to receive an item unordered and thereafter receive an invoice for the goods sent. This sort of sales practice is unlawful under Idaho law...”

Do you have to pay for it? No. If you’re sent merchandise you did not order, you have the right to keep the shipment as a free gift.

I have many more interesting cases that I’m working on as The CDA Press Consumer Guy. Call me, (208) 449-7222, email me CDAPressConsumer Guy@gmail.com or fax me at (866) 362-9266. Also include your full name and a phone number.

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Bill Brooks is the CDA Press Consumer Guy. He is an active Associate Real Estate Broker for Tomlinson-Sotheby’s International Realty in Coeur d’Alene.