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Cops: Riverside man bilked out of $1,400 by ‘IRS’ scammer

Cops

A Riverside man was schemed out of more than $1,000 by someone claiming to be from the government, according to Southampton Town police. 

The man reported getting a phone message last Thursday from a man who told him he was from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

The victim returned the phone message and he was told that he owed the government $1,496 and must pay immediately, police said.

The victim payed the amount in pre-paid cards, then told his nephew about what happened and his nephew told him it was a scam and he should call police, officials said.

The case is being investigated as fourth-degree grand larceny, according to police, and is a class E felony punishable by up to four years in jail, according to state law.