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IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 07:53 AM Jun 2017

Phone Scammers Accidentally Call A Programmer, Regret It Immediately

Last edited Thu Jun 29, 2017, 10:25 AM - Edit history (1)

Phone scams may be getting more and more clever by the day, but one office full of phony IRS agents made a decidedly dumb move when they called a computer programmer who happens to specialize in scam prevention.

The programmer and Redditor, who goes by the username YesItWasDataMined, but operates an anti-scam operation called Project Mayhem, received a voicemail from someone claiming to be an IRS employee. When he called them back and was asked to pay a massive fine for unclear reasons, he knew immediately that he was being had – and came up with a genius way to pull the plug on them. He wrote a script that called each of their phones 28 times per second with an automated message, tying up their lines and making it impossible to reach other potential victims.

The actual IRS recently published a report declaring these kinds of schemes a “major threat to taxpayers,” and estimates that over 10 thousand victims have been affected since 2013, collectively being defrauded of more than 54 million dollars.

Project Mayhem’s official YouTube channel now proudly features a hilarious 10-minute sample of the havoc wreaked upon the unfortunate scammers, which has already gained over 1 million views. Watch it below, and always remember to protect yourself against any suspicious requests for your private information.

http://www.boredpanda.com/programmer-writes-script-against-scammers/

Beautiful satisfying video at the link. It's worth watching the whole thing. I've reported scammers to the FCC but this programmer takes it up to 11 and beyond.

There are legitimate IRS employees and contractors with foreign accents, but they won't call you about paying fines.

Original Youtube Video:

60 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Phone Scammers Accidentally Call A Programmer, Regret It Immediately (Original Post) IronLionZion Jun 2017 OP
Depending on his state of residence, couldn't the programmer have committed ExciteBike66 Jun 2017 #1
The scammers should definitely report him to the FCC or FBI IronLionZion Jun 2017 #2
+1 dae Jun 2017 #16
Ha, reminds me Corvo Bianco Jun 2017 #27
There was an SNL skit with Liam Neeson IronLionZion Jun 2017 #28
It's the same reason I abuse these guys with abandon - who are they going to complain to? NutmegYankee Jun 2017 #47
Well played. SamKnause Jun 2017 #3
With great power comes great responsibility IronLionZion Jun 2017 #7
I am very aware. SamKnause Jun 2017 #10
Yes shenmue Jun 2017 #15
Can we email this guy with phone numbers of scammers that call us? Happyhippychick Jun 2017 #4
Post it online IronLionZion Jun 2017 #11
I think many of the numbers are not "real" any more. Ilsa Jun 2017 #21
i got a call from a moocher that came up in my caller id as mopinko Jun 2017 #46
I've gotten calls from my own number! nt Ilsa Jun 2017 #50
They have ways to spoof caller ID IronLionZion Jun 2017 #59
It's better to have a number that they expect the scammed to call Gore1FL Jun 2017 #51
Project Mayhem saved the charitable organization I run from losing money. Pacifist Patriot Jun 2017 #5
The IRS does not call anyone DarleenMB Jun 2017 #13
In our case, it wasn't an IRS scam. Pacifist Patriot Jun 2017 #14
i just route them to my answerbone AllaN01Bear Jun 2017 #6
Made My Day ResistantAmerican17 Jun 2017 #8
I enjoyed the scammers getting frustrated IronLionZion Jun 2017 #12
I prefer the threats customerserviceguy Jun 2017 #55
VERY satisfying YouTube there!. . . . n/t annabanana Jun 2017 #9
Priceless. Fla Dem Jun 2017 #17
The actual IRS will never *ever* call you. forgotmylogin Jun 2017 #18
Indeed, the real IRS is not very threatening either IronLionZion Jun 2017 #19
Scam Phone Calls Continue; IRS Identifies Five Easy Ways to Spot Suspicious Calls IronLionZion Jun 2017 #20
Thanks for the link - not JayhawkSD Jun 2017 #22
50 recs, 22 replies IronLionZion Jun 2017 #23
You have to wonder Plucketeer Jun 2017 #24
There was a group of them that got arrested recently in India IronLionZion Jun 2017 #25
A nice little DoS attack! TeapotInATempest Jun 2017 #26
one up on the scammers. now, if we could only get transcripts that don't have such serious niyad Jun 2017 #29
That number was calling my cell phone so much I finally blocked it. Initech Jun 2017 #30
Fake news harun Jun 2017 #31
76 recs IronLionZion Jun 2017 #35
That's a thing of beauty. progressoid Jun 2017 #32
K&R nt ProudProgressiveNow Jun 2017 #33
If you're ever surprised to hear from the IRS IronLionZion Jun 2017 #34
This is wonderful! Lunabell Jun 2017 #36
my great-aunt only made it to the 6th grade i think. but she had a great bullshit detector. pansypoo53219 Jun 2017 #37
There are tons of these on YouTube. OilemFirchen Jun 2017 #38
That was so awesome! IronLionZion Jun 2017 #58
I think he should be a sub department of donotcall.gov mdbl Jun 2017 #39
Thank you for this.. I was called a couple Cha Jun 2017 #40
Scared me too, Cha ailsagirl Jun 2017 #42
Yes! Very "offical sounding man"! Cha Jun 2017 #43
Exactly! ailsagirl Jun 2017 #60
Well done!! ailsagirl Jun 2017 #41
Hilarious malaise Jun 2017 #44
Well, I'm jealous discntnt_irny_srcsm Jun 2017 #45
Angry Atlantan's Computer Ties Up Falwell's Phone Line klook Jun 2017 #48
Ironically this link is actually a click bait scam itself oberliner Jun 2017 #49
121 Recs, 5 stars, on top panel of greatest page now IronLionZion Jun 2017 #52
"12 Mysterious Photos That Cannot be Explained #5 Will Scare the Life out of You!" oberliner Jun 2017 #53
The pets one is worth checking out IronLionZion Jun 2017 #54
They often are oberliner Jun 2017 #57
Two years ago right during tax season Doreen Jun 2017 #56

ExciteBike66

(2,374 posts)
1. Depending on his state of residence, couldn't the programmer have committed
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 08:07 AM
Jun 2017

a crime with this revenge? I know there are states that have laws concerning dialing a number repeatedly with intent to harass.

Anyway, I hope the IRA scammers complain to the police about this "harassment" and get themselves arrested instead!

Corvo Bianco

(1,148 posts)
27. Ha, reminds me
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:48 AM
Jun 2017

of when my cousin robbed his dealer and his dealer called the cops--everybody goes to jail (Mario accent)!

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
28. There was an SNL skit with Liam Neeson
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:53 AM
Jun 2017

where some potheads misplaced their weed and went to the police to borrow a drug dog to sniff it out.

NutmegYankee

(16,201 posts)
47. It's the same reason I abuse these guys with abandon - who are they going to complain to?
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:52 PM
Jun 2017

Contacting the authorities would incriminate them for far worse crimes.

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
11. Post it online
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:04 AM
Jun 2017

There are sites where people report scam numbers after they have reported it to the FCC. That's where he pulls the numbers from.

Here's a good starting point until Trump cuts the budget for this site: https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds

and post numbers here:
http://whocallsme.com/

Ilsa

(61,698 posts)
21. I think many of the numbers are not "real" any more.
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:04 AM
Jun 2017

Wherever the call originates, I think many of their phone systems have a way to copy your area code and display it. I have gotten phone calls from people in the area where I used to live who believe I've called them, and I've gotten scam calls from operations too sophisticated to be from the area where I previously resided.

I'm not sure how it all works, but I've stopped returning calls to those numbers that pop up with no voicemail.

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
59. They have ways to spoof caller ID
Thu Jun 29, 2017, 09:15 AM
Jun 2017

same with spoofed email addresses. It can make it harder to report, but it is doable.

Gore1FL

(21,152 posts)
51. It's better to have a number that they expect the scammed to call
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:37 PM
Jun 2017

Then it's knowable that the number isn't spoofed.

Pacifist Patriot

(24,654 posts)
5. Project Mayhem saved the charitable organization I run from losing money.
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 08:37 AM
Jun 2017

Our Treasurer was close to being taken in by a scam when they contacted us to inform us of what was happening. Not entirely sure how they knew, so that's a tad creepy. But it did save us about $4,000.

DarleenMB

(408 posts)
13. The IRS does not call anyone
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:06 AM
Jun 2017

They send you a nicely worded, frightening letter.

We've been on the receiving end of both. Stupid IRS agent wanted to double tax our Railroad Retirement income.

Stupid scammer got laughed at and hung up on and then promptly blocked. As if that does any good any more. They just generate a new number and call back.

Pacifist Patriot

(24,654 posts)
14. In our case, it wasn't an IRS scam.
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:07 AM
Jun 2017

We were almost victim to the "Fake President Fraud."

ETA: Not quite the same thing the country is experiencing at the moment. That is way more frightening!

AllaN01Bear

(18,443 posts)
6. i just route them to my answerbone
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 08:48 AM
Jun 2017

any strange numbers now get hung up on. my mother and i for 27 years kept getting a call for*****.
and if we tried to ask questions, they hung up i took over the line and one day i just swore at one of them and then they starteted to say is this you , OR IS THIS YOU? (meaning me) i challenged one fellow by saying for 27 years you and your predicessors have been calling heere . , the voice on the other end said we just bought the list in the last month, i asked , can you put me on your do not call list . no calls since. interesting tacttics, but am sure there are some legalites that may be in play

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
55. I prefer the threats
Thu Jun 29, 2017, 12:33 AM
Jun 2017

Or the insults, suggesting that they take honest jobs, like garbage picking. Sometimes I get much more rude than that.

forgotmylogin

(7,533 posts)
18. The actual IRS will never *ever* call you.
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:19 AM
Jun 2017

They will send a series of letters, and if you don't respond, they will garnish your wages. They don't mess with outbound calls. (My knowledge comes from interviewing and testing to work there, and a neighbor who had her bank account drained because she thought not talking to the IRS was a good course of action...kids, always communicate with the IRS if there is an issue. They will work with you.)

This may be a *tad* out of date as there was news about them possibly selling some old accounts to debt collectors, but I'm suspecting these are issues of small amounts that are old enough for people they can't contact or find a bank account for.

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
19. Indeed, the real IRS is not very threatening either
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:30 AM
Jun 2017
https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts

They're mostly reasonable people to work with. And if in doubt, a person could always go to the real IRS website, find their real number and call them to talk to a real agent to verify if there is a problem.

Unfortunately scammers have done this to Medicare/Social Security and other folks too. As in, give us your bank account info or we will stop your benefits.

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
20. Scam Phone Calls Continue; IRS Identifies Five Easy Ways to Spot Suspicious Calls
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 09:42 AM
Jun 2017

From the real IRS

https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/scam-phone-calls-continue-irs-identifies-five-easy-ways-to-spot-suspicious-calls

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert today providing taxpayers with additional tips to protect themselves from telephone scam artists calling and pretending to be with the IRS.
These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request.
“These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake-down calls are not how we do business.”
The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam.

The IRS will never:
Call to demand immediate payment, nor will we call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill..

Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.

If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.

You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Impostor Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. [See update at top of page.]
Remember, too, the IRS does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.
Additional information about tax scams are available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube and Tumblr where people can search “scam” to find all the scam-related posts.

 

JayhawkSD

(3,163 posts)
22. Thanks for the link - not
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:07 AM
Jun 2017

It played an advertisement and then told me that the video could not be loaded.

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
23. 50 recs, 22 replies
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:23 AM
Jun 2017

tells me the problem is located between your keyboard and chair. It worked for me just now.

It took me less than a second to find the original youtube video for it:

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
24. You have to wonder
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:32 AM
Jun 2017

how much they were taking in prior to this programmer throwing some serious sticks in their spokes!

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
25. There was a group of them that got arrested recently in India
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:37 AM
Jun 2017

In a rare bit of cooperation between the two countries' law enforcement.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2017/04/10/police-arrest-millennial-behind-multi-million-dollar-irs-phone-scam/#11b011f26ffc

"The alleged ringleader, Thakkar, known as "Shaggy," was said to be making more than 10 million rupees ($155,000) a day, or over a million dollars per week, at the scam's peak."

Not bad for a 24 year old millennial.

niyad

(113,585 posts)
29. one up on the scammers. now, if we could only get transcripts that don't have such serious
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:49 PM
Jun 2017

spelling and grammatical errors in them. "I" before "E" EXCEPT after c, misplaced apostrophes, and on and on.

Initech

(100,105 posts)
30. That number was calling my cell phone so much I finally blocked it.
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:52 PM
Jun 2017

Good to know there's people fighting back against this nonsense!

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
35. 76 recs
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 02:51 PM
Jun 2017

For a video posted from Bored Panda...to the lounge.

My reason for waking up each morning are DUers like you!

pansypoo53219

(20,997 posts)
37. my great-aunt only made it to the 6th grade i think. but she had a great bullshit detector.
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 04:53 PM
Jun 2017

gotta have a BS detector.

mdbl

(4,976 posts)
39. I think he should be a sub department of donotcall.gov
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 06:14 PM
Jun 2017

he's far more effective than that worthless site.

Cha

(297,728 posts)
40. Thank you for this.. I was called a couple
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 06:15 PM
Jun 2017

of times by an IRS scammer. It scared me at the time.. I called the IRS to make sure.

And, when I called the numbers back they had been disconnected by then.

Those poor suckers who actually fall for this.

ailsagirl

(22,899 posts)
42. Scared me too, Cha
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 06:36 PM
Jun 2017

All I heard was this official sounding man saying there was a warrant out for my arrest.

Yikes!

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,482 posts)
45. Well, I'm jealous
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 08:28 PM
Jun 2017

I got such a call 3 years ago. After a few minutes I got kind of suspicious. I continued listening to scammer who had transferred my call a few times to "supervisors". When they reached the payment phase I suggested that they contact my banker in Nigeria who was holding several million dollars awaiting my collection. I offered an email address.
The line went dead.

klook

(12,170 posts)
48. Angry Atlantan's Computer Ties Up Falwell's Phone Line
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 10:05 PM
Jun 2017

Here's a scammer retaliation I enjoyed. Those were the days... the things you could do with an Atari in 1985!

Dec. 24, 1985 - NY Times:
An Atlanta man angered by a television evangelist took it out on the Rev. Jerry Falwell by having his home computer call Mr. Falwell's toll-free phone line every 30 seconds for eight months.

Edward Johnson, who stopped the calls Friday after Southern Bell threatened to cut off his phone service, said the calls were intended to hurt Mr. Falwell's fund-raising by tying up the phone. Mr. Falwell heads Moral Majority.


From Falwell's page on Wikipedia:
Falwell was an enemy of the revenge humorist "George Hayduke", who called Falwell a "fund-grubbing electronic Bible-banger" and "pious pride-in-the-pulpit". In his book Screw Unto Others, Hayduke mentions the story of Edward Johnson, who, in the mid-1980s, programmed his Atari home computer to make thousands of repeat phone calls to Falwell's 1–800 phone number, since Johnson claimed Falwell had swindled large amounts of money from his followers, especially Johnson's own mother. Southern Bell forced Johnson to stop after he had run up Falwell's telephone bill an estimated $500,000. At one point, prank callers, especially gay activists, constituted an estimated 25% of Falwell's total calls, until the ministry disconnected the toll-free number in 1986.


 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
53. "12 Mysterious Photos That Cannot be Explained #5 Will Scare the Life out of You!"
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 11:07 PM
Jun 2017

After Losing 70lbs Susan Boyle is Unbelievably Gorgeous
10+ Genius T-Shirt Pairs You Will Be Mad You Didn't Think About First
10+ Times Pets Were Caught Red-Handed

All can be found on the link you provided in your OP (and much more!)

IronLionZion

(45,541 posts)
54. The pets one is worth checking out
Wed Jun 28, 2017, 11:17 PM
Jun 2017

And the t-shirts one too

Happiness is a choice, and we can all choose what to click on

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
56. Two years ago right during tax season
Thu Jun 29, 2017, 02:25 AM
Jun 2017

and right after my brother did my taxes for me I got a call from the "IRS" telling me I owed money. All I said was "uhmm" then hung up and called my brother. He told me I did the right thing. My brother is a tax lawyer so he knows how this works. It turned out that the year they did that it had been happening at a higher rate than usual.

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