Solon Man Loses $16,500 In IRS Scam

SOLON, OH — A 70-year-old Solon man lost $16,500 in an IRS scam this week, police said. The man has been told to contact his credit card companies, the Ohio Attorney General, and the Treasury Inspector General.

IRS scams are common fodder for con artists and thieves. Like in this case, someone pretending to be with the IRS calls a person (typically an elderly person) and tells them they have failed to properly pay their taxes. The target is then told they have to pay their back-taxes immediately or they could face severe consequences (jail time, revoking of a license, etc.).

The Solon man bought the scam, afraid he had been delinquent on his taxes for years. The "IRS agent" told him to go to a local store and buy Apple and Google Play cards. The man bought the cards and then shared the gift card numbers with the caller on both Monday and Tuesday.

The detective bureau is investigating the case, but the man was told to reach out to his credit card companies and to several statewide law enforcement and treasury groups.

The Internal Revenue Service said it sees a spike in these types of scams in and around the end of the year. The Service said it never demands immediate payment, using a specific method, over the phone.

Most communication between the IRS and a taxpayer is initiated through the mail. If you haven't received a letter from the IRS, and you get a call demanding payment on an issue, it's almost certainly a scam.

The IRS also notes that taxpayers have the right to question or appeal the amount of money they owe, another reason the agency can never demand at-the-moment payment over the phone.

Additionally, the IRS will never threaten to bring in local law enforcement to have a taxpayer arrested. The agency cannot revoke a license, immigration status, or business license. Those are hollow threats used to scare people into complying with a scammer's demands.

To learn more about how to protect yourself from IRS scams, and how to report these scams, visit the IRS website.

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