Resource Guide | Attorney General - State of Colorado
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Debt Collection Calls Telephone Calls

Many consumers have reported receiving threatening calls from individuals who claim they will have you arrested or thrown in jail if you don’t pay your debt immediately, often receiving the calls from individuals impersonating law enforcement officials.  These types of calls are usually red flags of a debt collection scam as collection agencies do not have the legal authority to arrest or put you in jail for nonpayment of a debt.

If you have received a threatening phone call and wish to report it, contact the National Do-Not-Call Registry and file a report with Colorado No-Call.

For more information about Colorado’s Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (CFDCPA) and to learn more about how to protect yourself against fraud, visit the Creditor Fraud Center.  If you desire a legal opinion or representation relating to your specific situation, we recommend contacting a private attorney or one of the services that provide legal assistance through the local bar association and/or other legal entities.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Calls Telephone Calls

The Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert 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 https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml.

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.

For more information about fraudulent telephone calls and how to protect yourself against telemarketing fraud, visit the Telemarketing Fraud Center.  If you desire a legal opinion or representation relating to your specific situation, we recommend contacting a private attorney or one of the services that provide legal assistance through the local bar association and/or other legal entities.
National Do Not Call Registry Telephone Calls

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you an opportunity to limit the telemarketing calls you receive. Once you register your phone number, telemarketers covered by the National Do Not Call Registry have up to 31 days from the date you register to stop calling you.

If you wish to register your home or mobile telephone number with the National Do Not Call Registry or if you have received a fraudulent call and wish to report it, contact the National Do Not Call Registry and file a report with Colorado No-Call.

 
Unwanted Telephone Calls Telephone Calls

The Colorado No Call List was enacted by the Colorado General Assembly in 2001 to enable consumers to protect themselves against unwanted telephone calls to residential or personal wireless telephone numbers. If you wish to register your home or mobile telephone number with the Colorado No-Call List or if you have received a fraudulent call and wish to report it, contact Colorado No-Call.

If you desire a legal opinion or representation relating to your specific situation, we recommend contacting a private attorney or one of the services that provide legal assistance through the local bar association and/or other legal entities.