Phone Scammer vs Cop - News Story and Video Link

This is the link to the whole story, and there are links to the video in the this article.  There are prob YT links, I just have not found them yet.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-43444 ... RS-scammer.html

Excerpts from the Daily Mail Story:

A scammer who tried to rip off a Wisconsin man by pretending to be an IRS agent certainly picked the wrong target when he called Kyle Roder - a cop who specializes in telephone fraud.
After being told that police would come to arrest him if he didn't hand over details to the scammer, Roder and fellow cop Don Henning called the conman back - and caught him in his own lies.
The Eau Claire Police Department released the video on Monday, and Roder's clever questioning - and hilarious expressions - won the video more than 3.4 million views in just two days.

The conman's plan is shaky from the start, as he asks for Roder's name and address so he can look up a nonexistent case file.
'But you said you're going to issue a warrant for me and come to my house,' Roder says.
'If you don't have my address, how are you going to do that?'

The scammer eventually claims that they will 'download' the documents to the local sheriff's department, who will come to arrest Roder by the end of the working day.

That gets a sarcastic thumbs-up from the cop, who as part of his duties educates elderly people about the dangers of cold-calling fraudsters.
Roder also asks why he can't just deal with this at a local IRS office, but is told that 'your case file has been handed to us because you're being investigated by our department.'

Henning leans in at one point and pretends to put Roder in handcuffs.

The caller, who sounds like he may be from the India-Pakistan area, claimed to be working from a bureau Washington, DC.
He also claimed to be Officer James Maxwell - at first. Then he was James Johnson. Then James Maxwell Johnson.

Caught: The scammer became confused about his own cover identity and was caught in his own lies by Roder on several occasions. The officer's funny reactions proved popular online

Henning appears on camera at the end of the video to confirm that cops do not receive 'information from the IRS or warrants for citizens based on phone calls like this.'
'This is truly a scam,' he adds.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Roder said that the call was recorded purely for educational purposes, and that the police department would not try to pursue the caller.  'When you follow [calls like these] up, realistically they take us out of the country and out of our jursidcition,' he said.
'But if someone is out of money we will work with numerous agencies - including the FBI and the real IRS - to investigate.'

He added that the bulk of the call lasted 20 minutes until he told the scammer that he needed to check something and would call back.
Subsequent attempts to contact the scammer failed, as Roder was told he was out to lunch, was redirected to voicemail or was asked for another non-existent case number.

'I didn't think it would go this far but I guess it's fun to show how a simple unrehearsed, unplanned event can get some traction,' he added.
More than three million fake IRS agents and other phone scammers were logged in 2016 by the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel project, CBS News reported.

That makes them the most common fraudsters in America, it said - having overtaken identity thieves.

Here's a link with a video Birdie: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-officer-ca ... nge-goes-viral/

Way to go B and CD, I got a good laugh out of the video!!!

That was epic. Thanks for the post B and the video CD. Fantastic and very entertaining comedy that helps put over the dangerous issues of scammers and their scams. Always felt that if you want to educate and keep one's attention, throwing a little humor in with the lesson is key. It creates a bookmark in the memory banks. JMO. Again, thanks for posting. Perfect Friday material.

Thanks!  I am glad I shared this!
I thought this piece was better than average of this type.  The story has some useful material and details that might help readers recognize that they are being tricked.  Keeping the call going for 20 minutes is outstanding work, not easy to do.
I liked this quote - simple and clear:

Quote:

'When you follow [calls like these] up, realistically they take us out of the country and out of our jurisdiction,' he said.
'But if someone is out of money we will work with numerous agencies - including the FBI and the real IRS - to investigate.'

Eau Claire has a population of about 70,000 and to have police resources allocated for phone crime, and provide some education aimed at old folks is noteworthy.

I got the IRS scam call once from an Oregon number. I said  "This connection is awful,  can i call you back at the number on caller id?  He said "Sure".

So i did and same pakistani accent answered "IRS Agent (something)". I said "IRS? This isn't Irv's Pizza?  Sorry,  pal " and hung up.
Then i looked up on IRS website their IRS hotline for internal fraud .   Asked  the nice lady if she'd seen  tidbits on the evening news about  IRS phone scammers . " Yes, " she said.  So i told her:
"Ma'am i know this isn't your department but please hear me out - i just got one of those scam calls and got him to tell me where to call him back.  It's an Oregon number but i think it rings in Pakistan...   Surely IRS has some friends in NSA who can trace calls  and i guarantee you if you dial this number right now you'll get to talk to somebody running that scam.  It'd be great publicity for IRS to bust a scammer, please  try it yourself so you know i'm not spoofing you and then run it up your chain of command.  You have a chance here to look really good.  My name and address is ...........,.,  check on me if you like .  Good luck"
She said Hmmm, Thank you" and i could tell her wheels were turning .

That was Tuesday.  On Friday's evening news was a piece   IRS busted some Pakistani immigrant in Portland for running an IRS phone scam.   I will always believe it was him .

God Bless that IRS lady at the hotline phone !

Ni Illegitimus......
analog

Good stuff!
Thanks B!
The video s brilliant! Thanks you CD!

Analog, thank you for both providing her the evidence and convincing her to follow up.

Thanks you guys, we have had our landline for 77 years, and constantly get these calls. In the past I've called the back and screwed with them, but getting too old for all this foolishness. Phone company has no shame taking your payments, but does nothing to assist customers with this growing problem. In the last 2 days we have had 3 " you'll be arrested by the end of the day" and this beauty ! Thanks again

Three days to go though the chain  of command and get the NSA involved? Doubtful!