Darien Woman Victimized By 'IRS Phone Scam,' Cops Say

DARIEN, CT — A total of $5,800 was reportedly stolen from a 45-year-old Darien woman who fell victim to the "IRS phone scam" that has plagued Fairfield County residents in recent months, according to Darien police. The incident was reported to police on June 22 and police are continuing to investigate.

The Hollow Tree Ridge Road resident told authorities that she was contacted earlier that day by "a male claiming to be a collector for the IRS. The male further claimed that the victim owed back taxes to the IRS and that, if she did not pay the IRS by noon, her husband would be subject to arrest."

Darien police said that the victim withdrew $5,800 from the bank and was instructed to go to an Apple store and purchase Apple gift cards, which she did. She then provided the caller with the gift card numbers.

"She then inquired further through a different Apple store and found that the funds from the cards had already been accessed and the cards now had a zero balance."

In a statement, the department urged resident not to fall for the scam:

The Darien Police Department cannot be strong enough in our ongoing warnings; the Internal Revenue Service, local, state or federal law enforcement agencies, or any other legitimate governmental agency will never ask for anyone to purchase gifts cards, pre-paid debit cards, Western Union transactions and the like to settle any type of debt. The mere fact that someone threatens over the phone to "arrest a loved one" or "put someone in jail" over some purported debt should always be a red flag.

Image via Shutterstock

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