Woman Bought $10K in iTunes Cards to Pay Phony IRS Bill

Bloomfield Township, MI — A Bloomfield Township woman was conned in to buying $10,000 worth of iTunes cards to avoid jail on a federal tax debt she supposedly owed, police said.

The woman, 46, told Bloomfield Township police Wednesday that she had been contacted by a person with a foreign accent who claimed to be an IRS agent. The individual reportedly threatened her with arrest if she didn’t pay the debt.

While speaking with the phony IRS agent, the victim received another call from a person who claimed to be a police officer. That person also threatened arrest if she did not pay the debt, police said.

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The fake IRS agent then directed the victim where she purchased the iTunes cards to cover what she supposedly owed, police said. She provided the card numbers to the suspects, who allegedly drained the cards shortly after they were purchased.

“No government agency or reputable business asks for any owed bills to be paid with gift cards,” Bloomfield Township Police Det. Sgt. John Weise said in a news release. “Anyone who receives a call similar to this should end the call immediately and contact your police department.”

Image: Flickr via Creative Commons