Scam Number: (443) 516-5138 (Peerless), (209) 490-0430 (Onvoy via Sinch Voice)
Scammer’s Website or Email: alleviatetax.com
Additional information about this scam: User attempted to send multiple soliciting cold calls to my cell phone, which is on the national Do-Not-Call Registry, though the calls were marked as spam. I later received a voicemail from “Pearl Higgins from the Activate Center,” falsely claiming that I still owe back taxes to the IRS.
Calls to the (443) number are answered by a third-party who simply answers as “Tax Relief” and will hang up when asked to provide the name of the company they work for. Calls to the (209) number are answered by a representative with Alleviate Tax, LLC, a BBB-accredited tax return preparation company that operates out of 2600 Michelson Dr Ste 1500, Irvine, CA 92612-6511.
User complaints on their Google, Yelp, TrustPilot and BBB listings indicate patterns of fraudulent activity, such as:
- Falsely promising their customers the best deal with the IRS, only to sign them up for a more expensive offer than what the IRS was gonna give them.
- Constantly changing case managers, leading to their customers’ having their wages garnished, and falsely claiming to handle their customers’ taxes for free.
- Making fraudulent robocalls to recipients multiple times per day in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
- Charging customers $1,500 for book keeping services that were never provided.
- Sending prerecorded robocalls falsely claiming their records show the recipient still owing back taxes to the IRS.
- Using scare tactics, such as false claims that the IRS can arrest the recipients of their calls.
- Issuing robocalls to recipients who are on the Do-Not-Call Registry
- Having their customers pay $5,000 to alleviate their back taxes, but never made a formal agreement with the IRS, putting their customers into collections.
- Refusing to reply to emails and phone calls to resolve their customers’ cases.
The company was sued in the Eastern District of New York for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act on July 19, 2023, after plaintiff Todd C. Bank received two soliciting robocalls from their company on June 23, 2023 without prior consent. The case was dismissed on March 28, 2024 on the grounds that Banks was contacted by a third party instead of Alleviate directly, as the TCPA requires a direct connection, and that the agent who answered the call wasn’t proven to be an employee of Alleviate.
https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/49633695/Bank_v_Alleviate_Tax,_LLC
The company was also sued in the Western District of Washington for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state telemarketing laws on November 23, 2023 after plaintiff Nathen Barton of Camas, Washington received soliciting robocalls while Barton was on the do-not-call registry, including one by “Ella, the director for the federal tax abatement program” and another by “Jessica with Tax Relief Services” A jury trial for the case was demanded on April 4, 2024.
The company was also sued for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act in the Western District of Texas on September 23, 2022 after plaintiff Erik Salaiz of El Paso, who represented himself, received a soliciting robocall from their company. A motion for a default judgement as moot was denied by the judge, who dismissed the case on January 30, 2023.
https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/46242271/Salaiz_v_Alleviate_Tax,_LLC
The company has also been on our radar since May 25, 2023, when @MehNamesJeff received a soliciting robocall and called out one of their company employees for their attempted violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Fellow moderator @Barryspar has indicated that he will look into TCPA action against their company on August 2, 2023.
Associated Facebook Account - Redirecting...
Associated Instagram Account - https://www.instagram.com/alleviate_tax
Associated LinkedIn Accounts:
Associated X Account - x.com
Associated YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHGBhnwqwmLD5ogbEvME6Q
Associated Phone Numbers:
- (800) 299-7832 (YTel)
- (888) 859-8291 (YTel)
- (559) 398-0532 (Peerless, listed on their YouTube channel)
Associated Email Address - [email protected]
