CLARKSVILLE Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Clarksville police are warning the public about a recent IRS scam.
The caller poses as an IRS representative and says the victim has unpaid taxes, then threatens to freeze the victim’s accounts if he does not comply with his demands.
The victim said he received a telephone call from an individual who said his name was “Ronnie Williams.” Williams claimed he worked for the IRS and told the victim he had several years of unpaid taxes.
The victim said that Williams sounded very convincing, even giving him a case number (ARK711329TX) that referenced his unpaid taxes. Williams told the victim that he needed to send iTunes gift card codes over the phone after they were purchased and activated.
The victim went to a local store at Williams’ request to purchase four iTunes gift cards. The first purchase totaled just under $2,000 and the second purchase of 10 cards totaled just under $5,000. The victim gave the codes for all 14 cards to Williams over the phone and thought that his debt was paid.
He was contacted again by Williams the next day for more iTunes gift card codes. Williams told the victim that if he didn’t send any more cards, the IRS would freeze his accounts and he would owe more money. The victim then contacted law enforcement.
The official IRS website provides tips to avoid scams: