Lacey Woman Out $10,658 After Falling For Bogus Telephone Scam

Police are warning residents not to respond to callers claiming to be “Prosecutors of the IRS” after a Forked River woman reported she had purchased over $10,000 in Visa Green DOT cards after scammers told her she owed back taxes, Police Chief David A. Paprota said.

Officer Anthony Sarno responded to a Shepard Avenue address in Forked River on a fraud report at 6:33 p.m. on Jan. 30. The victim told police she received a phone call at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan.28, 2015, from someone who identified himself as working for the “Prosecutors of the IRS,” the chief said.

Other Patch stories:

• Your Kid’s in Jail 9 Other Scams to Watch Out for in 2015
• Don’t Fall for Email Scam; How to Find Sexual Predators Living in Your Neighborhood
• Terrifying Phone Scam Targets Hundreds

The caller informed her that she owed taxes from the years 2000-2014 and needed to make payments. The caller advised her of different amounts of money that she owed and told her to purchase prepaid VISA Green DOT cards, Paprota said.

The victim purchased approximately $10,658 worth of VISA Green DOT cards and provided the card numbers and security codes over the phone at different times over a three-day period.

She told police she spoke with several different people who alleged to be from the “Prosecutors of the IRS.” The callers were convincing because they had her and her husband’s personal information when they spoke with her, she told police.