Are any of you getting tons of calls from a 202-860-**** number?

[Frustratedlady]

It is a fake IRS number and I've had 8 calls this afternoon and evening...3 in the last 20 minutes. I usually get 4/day from them.

I checked Google and one of the numbers is for the IRS callers, but if you don't answer, they change the last 4 digits. I have never answered. I saw on one site explaining who they were that they will keep it up as the IRS estimates they have taken in $36M.

What an irritation.

[chillfactor]

1. I get 3-4 calls every day from that number.....

I never answer....figured it was a telemarketer.

[redstateblues]

8. Same here

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Not lately, but I did get a few of those some months ago.

Sometimes they leave a message to the effect that you owe money and that if you don't call them back immediately they will send the police to your house to arrest you. Of course it's a scam, and it amazes me that anyone with two brain cells to rub together would fall for it.

[cynatnite]

5. We got that one a long time ago...

I called it back and got a person on the phone. I questioned them, they went uh...uh...uh and then hung up on me.

[MiniMe]

18. I got several of those calls

The IRS doesn't call, they send letters. Those people at least leave a message, and I admit my heart skips a beat when I get that one. But the scare is brief, that just isn't how the IRS works

[gratuitous]

3. I wish there was a law

But Congress has other priorities than helping citizens from getting ripped off by scammers.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Call blockers are your friend.

This one is pretty amazing (hopefully the recommendation is not considered spamming) - https://digitone.com/

You can block that entire "202-860" exchange.

[Frustratedlady]

7. Thanks. I'll check it out. eom

[BumRushDaShow]

10. You would put it on one phone (landline)

and the blocked call will only cause a single ring on that phone and the unit will disconnect the caller. No other phones on the same extension in the dwelling will ring with the blocker connected - which was perfect for me for those illegal robocalls and scam calls after hours when I was in bed asleep. Plus it lets you store like 1000 numbers (I had their older one that allowed 100 numbers/exchanges and upgraded to the newer model that had more storage).

[blueinredohio]

11. Thanks for the info BumRushDaShow. I've never heard of this before.

But I'm sure going to check it out. All the robo calls and scams are driving me crazy.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. I've had one of those for at least 10 years

It has been a godsend.

Before getting that, probably 20 years ago, I used to have an old "Tele-Zapper" thing that would automatically send a signal back to the robocallers that indicated that my number was "disconnected", but since then, the robocall systems are much more sophisticated and that method didn't work anymore.

I get all those scam police "FOP fundraising" ones and used to get the "Attention Homeowner" ones as well as those "Rachel from Card Services" ones (which I *think* was finally shut down by the government). I also get many poll ones (including from something called "Public Interest" on the caller id).

Edit to add - this was my 32,000th post! LOL

[Totally Tunsie]

21. I have one of these

and it's the best money I ever spent!

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Damn straight!

It was worth every penny - especially for those repeat robo-dialers. I think I actually saw a recommendation for it from a post right here on DU (during the DU2 days).

And welcome to DU by the way!

[secondwind]

6. I have had several in the past 24 hours.

[still_one]

9. The fraudsteers spoof all kinds of numbers all the time

[cry baby]

13. At least 2 per day for the past several weeks.

Annoying!

[lunatica]

14. If I don't know the caller I never answer

Then I delete all of them at once a couple of times a day. I do get calls from that number. My iPhone shows it’s from Washington DC.

If it’s someone I know they can leave a message.

[GReedDiamond]

15. I've had at least a dozen calls from a number like that...

...out of the last fifty calls to my number over the last week or so.

Plus a lot of other telemarketing or whatever calls from numbers I do not know.

A year ago, I had almost zero calls from telemarketers/scammers.

[dflprincess]

16. I've only gotten one of the IRS calls

and it came in on my land line. I answered it and, after the crook made it sound like the local police were about to break down my door looking for my "overdue" taxes I told him I was an attorney for the IRS (to be clear, I'm not) and he was in a lot of trouble.

Haven't heard from them again.

[edbermac]

17. Been getting health insurance and Chinese voice mail messages.

Never answer when I don’t recognize the number.

[yardwork]

19. Yes! As quick as I block them the call back with a slightly different number.

[ooky]

20. I use the "do not disturb" feature on my Iphone.

Allows you to receive calls only from the phone numbers you place on your favorites list. This put a cold stop to my phone ever ringing for anybody else. Love it, no spammer calls ever ring through to me anymore.