Acton Resident Bilked Out of Thousands in Alleged IRS Scam

The IRS often gets a bum rap, but it this case it appears to be undeserved.

A local man is out nearly $2,000 after falling victim to an apparent scam in which the man was conned into buying MoneyPak GreenDot cards and turning over their numbers under the guise that he owed a hefty amount in state taxes.

According to the Acton Police Department, the scam occurred last Friday, Nov. 29, when a local resident received a call from a person identifying himself as being from the IRS Federal Investigative Unit. The caller then allegedly told the man he owed $1,996 in state taxes, and if those funds were not paid immediately then the man would be subject to arrest.

From the APD press release:

The victim was instructed to go to his bank and get cash and then to CVS and purchase MoneyPak GreenDot cards with the cash and give the suspect the numbers on the back of the cards. The victim did this and after giving the suspect the numbers the suspect told the victim that he was now going to charge him more money for lying.  At this point the victim became suspicious and notified Acton Police. 

“There is no way to track the money once the number on the back of the card is given to a scammer,” police said. “And most of the scammers are reportedly in other countries which hinders investigation and prosecution.”

This type of scam comes in many forms. Police say scammers will pose as utility company reps threatening to cut-off or interrupt service, or as law enforcement officers demanding payments on warrants or court judgments.

Any residents or business owners who receive calls like these should immediately contact the Acton Police at 978-264-9638.