Someone posing as fake IRS agent tried to scam a cop. The officer got the perfect revenge
Thousands of people have lost millions and their sensitive personal information to IRS tax scams across America. Scammers use text messages, emails, and phone calls to target and fool people. However, these scammers often meet their match. This is what happened in 2017 when a scammer tried to fool a Wisconsin police officer.
Here's what happens when scammers meet their match
The Eau Claire Police Department officer Kyle Roder told HuffPost that he received a text message from someone claiming to be an IRS agent. Roder said he couldn't think of any reason why the IRS would contact him.
Roder’s suspicions grew further as he read that the message was threatening with arrest if he failed to call back. Thus, the public information officer came up with a plan to call the scammer and expose them on video.
The entire interaction was then shared on Facebook. In the video, Roder is seen calling the number from what appears to be his office. Once the scammer picks up, Roder says that he was asked to call the number as he was involved in a "fraud or something."
The scammer tries to extract Roder's valid ID name and address, to "help him find the case number." However, Roder realizes that it's a ploy and proceeds to ask the scammer some pointed questions instead.
One of Roder's questions was who was going to arrest him, to which the scammer replied that the local sheriff's department. Sitting in the sheriff's office himself, Roder finds it hilarious and gives a thumbs up to the camera.
The scammer then fumbles as Roder asks him for his name and badge number. Initially, the scammer says his name is James Maxwell, but when Roder asks him to repeat the name and badge number, he says his name is James Johnson. He then quickly corrects himself by saying that his name was James Maxwell Johnson.
When Roder tells the scammer that he read that the IRS sends a letter or email to contact people and what the caller is saying could be a scam, the fraudster says in some "emergency situations" the IRS does phone people.
Thus, the Eau Claire County Sherrif then comes on the camera to clarify that the office did not receive any such information from the IRS and the entire thing is a scam. While the police department conducted the experiment, it also warned people to not try this at home.
Every year, especially around the 'tax season', such scammers actively target people. Thus, the IRS has issued several advisories on how to be safe from such scams.
The IRS has clarified that it doesn't contact taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information.
Furthermore, the agency will never send pre-recorded, urgent, or threatening messages to taxpayers. It will also not demand any payment or arrest taxpayers immediately.
In case taxpayers receive such phone calls, the IRS recommends them to hang up immediately and contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the IRS impersonation scam call.
The agency also urges people to report the called ID or number via an email to phishing@irs.gov, with the subject line "IRS Phone Scam."