FXBG Woman Scammed For 12-Thousand Dollars

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(Fredericksburg)- Fredericksburg Police say a 72 year old woman was scammed out of more than 12-thousand dollars. Authorities say on August 10th, the woman received a call from a man who identified himself as “Alan Fitch” with the “IRS Criminal Investigations Unit.” Fitch advised the elderly woman that her tax returns from years prior were wrong and she owed the IRS several thousands of dollars. He told her that if she did not pay immediately, two federal agents would come to her house and arrest her.

Fitch said the IRS could not accept a check and that she would need to go to a store and purchase Apple iTunes gift cards to pay her debt. The elderly female then drove to a store in Central Park and purchased Apple iTunes gift cards. Fitch demanded that she stay on the phone with him while she drove to the store and not to tell anyone what she was doing. After purchasing the Apple iTunes gift cards, the elderly female read the gift card numbers to Fitch.

Five days later on August 15th, the elderly female was contacted again by a person from the “IRS Criminal Investigations Unit” who identified himself as “John Cooper.” Cooper told the woman she still owed more than $5,000 to the IRS and she needed to pay immediately. The elderly female again purchased more Apple iTunes gift cards and read the gift card numbers to Cooper over the phone. The elderly female was contacted again on August 15th by an individual from the IRS requesting a payment of more than $1,000 in Apple iTunes gift cards. It was at this time that the 72-year-old woman realized she fell victim to a scam and was ultimately scammed out of more than $12,000.

City Police offer these tips on avoiding being a scam victim:

The Fredericksburg Police Department does not want any person to fall victim to a scam. Here are tips on how you can protect yourself and your family from a scam or fraud:
• 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