Crime Prevention HQ: Recent Episodes
Jay Toth
Original post: What Does the IRS Scam Sound Like?
How to Spot an IRS Phone Scam
What does the IRS Scam sound like? What does the IRS Scam sound like? Listen to this recording of a typical voicemail and hear for yourself.
People all over the country have been victimized by these calls. I received this one on my home phone and it is a little different from typical IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Scam calls, Normally, a live person threatens to have them arrested if they don’t pay “back taxes and penalties” using a prepaid card.
Characteristics of this call. This call:
- Was made by a robo-caller instead of a live person.
- Used a computerized voice. This is often done to disguise the caller and eliminate background noise that could give clues about the scam artists.
- Advised that the IRS is initiating a lawsuit against me.
- Provided a “202” area code return phone number instead of a toll-free number. Â 202 is the area code for Washington D.C. and could trick the recipient into believing the call was made from an actual government agency.
Information from the IRS. The IRS has information on its website about this widespread scam and steps that citizens can take to avoid it and report it. This scam has become so pervasive that they have frequently repeated the warning with updated information on new variations as they develop.
What we can do. As we provide crime prevention information, we can make sure to highlight and mention this type of scam. Most people will never fall prey to it if they recognize the key points listed in the IRS attachment. This scam may also come by way of email as well as phone call so we need to remind our audience that the IRS will never call or email them without notifying them by mail first. With just a little bit of warning we can keep our people from falling victim to this scheme.
Source: Crime Prevention HQ - Your Headquarters for Cybercrime and Social Media Resources for Crime Prevention Providers
Original post: #3: 13 Ways to Listen to On-Demand Audio and Podcasts – CPHQ Podcast 3
Audio is a great way to connect with your audience. By recording a simple file and posting it online, we can let our community use any method they want to […]
Source: Crime Prevention HQ - Your Crime Prevention Headquarters for Cybercrime, Social Media and CPTED Training and Information Resources
Original post: #2: Did a Microsoft Technician Call Me? I Smell a “RAT” – CPHQ Podcast 2
I received a voice mail this week that claimed to be from a Microsoft Certified Technician. The message claimed that my computer has been sending error messages to Microsoft and that the technician was going to help me fix my computer. I play the actual voice mail in the podcast and show how the scam works.
Source: Crime Prevention HQ - Your Crime Prevention Headquarters for Cybercrime, Social Media and CPTED Training and Information Resources
Original post: #1: Cyber Safety Radio Interview – CPHQ Podcast 1
I was a guest on the Marc Bernier Radio Show a few months ago. We discussed cyber safety, the challenges that parents face keeping their children safe on social media and the various types of computer crimes and scams that face us everyday. We also discussed the live Facebook chat event we hosted for parents on cyber safety.
Source: Crime Prevention HQ - Your Crime Prevention Headquarters for Cybercrime, Social Media and CPTED Training and Information Resources