A 53-year-old LaPorte man has been scammed out of nearly one-thousand dollars by a caller claiming to be an IRS agent. The phony tax agent told the victim he owed $989 in taxes and that he needed to send payment right away or face arrest. The victim followed the suspect's instructions and obtained three separate pre-paid cards and sent them via Western Union to “PayPower Company.” After realizing he was the victim of a scam, he contacted Western Union to cancel the transaction, however it was too late and the money had been claimed. Police say cases like this are happening again and again, where victims are told they owe money that must be paid immediately or face arrest, loss of driver’s licenses, or deportation. They say if you get a call like this to hang up. If you're concerned it really WAS the IRS, to give them a call.
