Greg's Corner

Armed IRS scammer meets victim in parking lot

By Greg Collier

In recent years, scammers have grown increasingly bold in their efforts to extort money. While many scams continue to be executed online or over the phone, a new and more audacious group of scammers is now showing up at meetings with victims to collect their illicit gains in person. This brazen approach significantly heightens the danger for victims, particularly when firearms are involved.

This week, a 51-year-old Michigan woman was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was allegedly involved in an elaborate scam aimed at intimidating victims into believing they were under investigation for tax fraud.

The mastermind behind the scam was a man the suspect met online. He initiated the scheme by sending a text message to the victim, purportedly from the IRS, claiming the victim was under investigation for filing a fraudulent tax return. The victim was then threatened with a federal arrest.

The scammer provided the suspect with fake documents, including an FBI arrest warrant and an IRS receipt. She delivered these documents to a parking lot, where she was tasked with collecting $60,000 from the victim. In return, she was promised $2,500 of the proceeds.

To make the charade seem more convincing, the suspect carried an authentic police badge issued to someone else in Michigan. Most alarmingly, she was armed with a fully loaded firearm, which she kept in a holster.

Whenever a firearm is involved in a situation like this, the outcome can be highly unpredictable and potentially violent. The best protection against such scenarios is to recognize the typical signs of a scam.

In this particular scenario, it’s important to remember that the IRS will never call, text, or email you. If there is an issue with a tax return, the IRS will only communicate through a letter sent by mail. Additionally, they will never send someone to meet you to collect a payment, especially not in a parking lot. Anyone claiming to be from the government and arranging to meet you for money is a scammer.

It is recommended that anyone who engages with a message like this should contact their local police immediately.