Empowerment USA Group, LLC Attempted scam Thornton, Colorado

I was contacted by Christian Thompson and told that my IRS case had been updated to 'Status 22 collect-ability' and that it was imperative to file with the court to stop collection actions, even though I have had in place a payment plan agreement with the IRS for several months.

I was scammed in the past two years by Power Tax Relief (LA, CA), so I did my research, and learned what questions to ask to ensure proper representation. I asked for copies of past cases they had handled with a positive result, and/or satisfied customer references. Mr. Thompson hedged all questions with references to the case worker and officers from the IRS. I asked for the names and telephone numbers of these case workers and was told I should not try to contact them for fear of stirring up and expediting collection action from said 'Status 22'.

He told me he had acted on my behalf and filed a stay of actions by the IRS. I asked for a copy of this filed stay and was again put off by talk of how I was going to pay for their services. On our last telephone conversation, I kept asking for documentation of some kind, either past customers or a copy of the case he said he filed, and he said he would call me right back with what I asked for. The phone rang and Ron Jackson introduced himself as one of the firms senior partners and asked what it was exactly that I wanted from "Chris Hawkins". They can't even keep their aliases straight. 

 I wish I could find a reputable tax firm to represent me, and not be scammed again, like so many others are. DO YOUR REASEARCH before committing any funds. Do not give them your checking account or credit card numbers. If you do decide to hire their services, pay by postal money order, then if they are scammers, they could face federal charges, and we could get rid of these vermin!