IRS Phone Scam Dupes Fredericksburg Woman

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The obnoxiously vile IRS phone scam has claimed yet another victim — a 72-year-old Fredericksburg woman who was bilked out of more than $12,000.

According to Fredericksburg Police, the woman received a phone call on Aug. 10 from a man who said his name was Alan Fitch from the IRS Criminal Investigations Unit. He told her she owed the IRS thousands of dollars, and that if she didn't pay, two federal agents would go to her house and arrest her.

He said the IRS could not accept a check and instructed her to go to a store and buy Apple iTunes gift cards. She complied and read the gift cards to the man, who had stayed on the phone.

Five days later, she received a call from a man who said his name was John Cooper of the IRS, and that she still owed more than $5,000, so she repeated the gift-card drill.

The same day, the woman received yet another call from a so-called IRS investigator, who wanted more than $1,000 in gift cards. This time, she realized she had been duped and called police.

A Fairfax woman was recently scammed, and a Manassas man also fell victim to the IRS scam.

IRS phone scams have been around for quite some time, and the IRS would like you to know the following:

• The IRS never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone.
• The IRS never insists that taxpayers use a specific payment method to pay tax obligations.
• The IRS never requests immediate payment over the telephone and will not take enforcement action immediately following a phone conversation. Taxpayers usually receive prior notification of IRS enforcement action involving IRS tax liens or levies.

And there's this, from Fredericksburg Police:

• Be aware that you are at risk from strangers.
• Be skeptical of all unsolicited offers or any demands for payment.
• The IRS does not make physical arrests.
• Never give your credit card, banking, Social Security, Medicare, or other personal information
over the phone unless you initiated the call.
• Don’t isolate yourself – talk with your family.
• Shred all receipts and credit cards.
• Sign up for the “Do Not Call” list and take yourself off mailing lists.
• Report suspicious activity to your local law enforcement agency.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

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