By Aubrey Beauchamp, Capistrano Beach
We all get unsolicited phone calls, many pre-recorded. People are eager to get us a new hearing aid, plan our funeral, help us with our finances, etc. It’s easy to ignore these calls as we get similar ones in the mail, e-mail and dropped at our doorsteps. People want to paint, clean, remodel or sell our home and maintain our yard. All these are honest and legal attempts by folks who need a job.
However, recently I found a message, repeated three times in one day, on my answering machine. A stern, intimidating woman’s voice announced:
“Hello, this call is officially a final notice from IRS—the Internal Revenue Service. The reason for this call is to inform you that the IRS has filed a lawsuit against you. To get more information about this case file, please call immediately on our department, number 410.698.8401.”
It was bogus, of course, and I did not call. Scare tactics are nothing new. However this message was not only a blatant lie; it was also threatening, intimidating and impersonating a government agency. That, to me, is going too far. Next call we hear on the phone may be a bomb threat.
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