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