Yes, I got that call on my answering machine. Next morning another one saying they were trying hard to contact me. Many people in this building received the same call.

Will scammers never cease???

Yes, I've gotton THAT one several times. Also Rachel who says my credit cards are fine. Disabled Vets selling $10 light bulbs that last 10 years. The computer guy from India that's calling from Windows to help me with my computer problem. Opinion surveys.

My younger son gave me a call blocker for Christmas because we get so many sales calls. And this week I caught the Windows guy from India and got him tagged by the machine. I still love Tom Ford's scam on the telephone solicitor saying he was the police and he was calling a phone belonging to a murder victim and was now a suspect and don't hang up. It never gets old and I laugh at it every time.

Sure have multiple times. It gets a quick hang up.

Yep, have received and ignored several.

Oh yes, we've gotten that one several times. I was wondering who would fall for that scam, but then it occurred to me that people who have not filed their taxes or who are behind might believe it.

It's amazing how many people fall for that. My husband own a computer repair business and sees people falling for the Microsoft scams all the time, it's unreal!

The IRS thing is a scam. They wouldn't call you on the phone and would never threaten you.

I just got one yesterday and let the answering machine get it. The next time I will have some fun with them!

Oh yes, several times along with Rachel who calls me a lot. I sure do love my answering machine.

Yes, we've gotten that one and the "Microsoft rep" from India. DH likes to play along and mess with them....they get very angry with him and hang up!

Me, too! Did not know there were so many IRS employees working in India!

You would not believe how many people in Canada have sent money and iTunes, yes: iTunes gift cards to people who say they work for CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) for unpaid taxes. If they don't pay, they'll be deported! Our post office staff is VERY good at stopping customers from mailing too much money overseas and into the US. Quite often, the people who are trying to mail money out of the country are even on their cell phones talking to the person who is scamming them getting instructions on what to buy and making sure the money order/envelope is addressed correctly. When our staff sees the customer on the phone getting instructions, we instruct them to go to the nearest police detachment and have a police officer verify who the person on the other end is. Unfortunately, there have been a few times where the customer has told our staff to mind their own business and they send the money anyways. We tried to stop one customer, whose daughter came in a few days later screaming at staff who wasn't able to convince him he was being ripped off.

A friend of mine got a call from the CRA a few days ago with the same warning. Pay up or get deported. She's a born and raised Canadian. Yeah, good luck with that one.

Hubby answered the phone the other day and it was Officer Jones of the CRA, a recording. He hung up. I wished I'd answered, I'd have stayed on the line to see if an actual person got on. People are falling for this regularly, just this week a senior sent $2,000.

Warnings about those IRS calls have been on the news. Hubby heard that an IRS employee received one of those calls. Now that is funny.

Thank you all. I knew it wasn't IRS, but wondered if others had received a call. I find it hard to believe that they have called so many people. When I did a Google search for the phone number, it was a Verizon line near DC in the 202 area code.

So...a scammer is able to get a Verizon phone with a 202 area code? Gosh.

Media here is warning about the 'guy from the power company' who shows up at your door to disconnect service for an unpaid balance -- unless you give him X amount in cash *right now*. Sadly, people fall for this kind of bum's rush. (I'd like to connect these freaks to some 'power' source.)

Some guy came to our door last Fall asking to inspect our furnace for some company. We were on the ball for more than one reason: 1) I don't know who you are so NO, you aren't coming in my home and 2) I just had a brand new furnace installed a couple weeks prior and the city inspector already checked it out.

About 2 months ago, there was a news story about 2 men making entry into peoples homes in Red Deer (1 1/2 hours north of us) using the same MO. I could swear the one guy was the one who tried to get into my home.

I've probably received the call(s) but they're blocked so they get the SIT and and message that the number has been disconnected. My sister very nearly got stung on that. I thought she was smarter than that. But she just said she thought maybe she had mis-figured her taxes, bla, bla. She was in the process of sending it and then finally the bulb flickered and decided to check it out.

"So...a scammer is able to get a Verizon phone with a 202 area code? Gosh."

Not necessarily. It's not difficult to spoof a number on caller ID. It probably was not the real number. Many overseas scammers spoof their IDs. Even local ones do it. That's why you shouldn't rely on CID completely. Even legitimate businesses don't show the actual number. For instance, one of the clinics I'm using has one number on their PBX for all numbers dialed. You can call directly to the actual number, but when they call you back it will show the main office number.

My phone can block 30 calls and it's filled. Now I have to delete an old call to add the new. We get one call that just doesn't quit. You'd think they would get tired of receiving a busy signal all the time.

linda_6, that reminds me, I need to see who all I have blocked and start unblocking to see if they've all gotten the hint yet. My phone rarely rings anymore. My son used to owe a lot of people money and bill collectors would call my number (he lived with us at the time). I got so tired of answering the phone I blocked all 1-800 numbers. lol It's been so peaceful....

we use a free service called nomorobo.com They screen calls and after one ring it goes away. Regular phone calls go through. Once in a while a scam gets through but for the most part no. We've had no problems with anyone legit not being able to reach us and it has cut down on the phishing calls to almost nothing.

debby_ab- I print out a list of all my calls so I can check them off. We still have one that just refuses to give up - Cranberry to PA. We think it's the PIttsburgh Tribune. I have gone into the do not call website and reported them numerous times, but so far they keep calling. Our phone rings once then stops so we know it's a blocked call. You would think they would get the hint.

anyone want my Jamacia callers??? I had them off the radar, for a few months..did the crying routine that the person they kept asking for had died...you should have heard the phony crying...but they've started back up....lol...

I am on the Do Not Call list and it works great for me. Except for the one I got a couple days ago. My phone rang, I answered; a female voice said "If you would like to be put on the Do Not Call List, please touch 9 now. Thank you." HUH? I Just hung up, and no more calls yet.

susanjf_gw - don't worry some dumb a$$ will take the call to heart and give them all their money. lol

I think the calls are hilariously pathetic. English obviously not their first language, so when they try to frighten the living daylights out of people, it just comes across as ridiculous.

Sometimes, I'm tempted to answer, act like I believe them, pretend to freak out and just keep them hanging on for a good long while, wasting their time until I tell them to shove it.

Eh, obviously not tempted enough since those calls go to the machine like all the rest whose number I don't recognize.

And how about this one, by email... I was just hired by Google, and would be part of the Google team, my first pay would be $90,00, work at home, etc. I would have to reply at this link by "tommorow" and more, and more. I didn't even know I had applied, how lucky I could have been.

The funny part about the ominously worded "IRS" calls is that the caller's do not identify themselves as government agents when leaving messages, instead just use ordinary names. Likewise caller id displays and phone logs show the callers to be Joe Dokes instead of Internal Revenue Service or whatever.