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It began when a 50-something Wyckoff couple got a call at their home from a man identifying himself as “Mr. McCoy” of the IRS, Saudino said this afternoon.
The husband, who owns a business in Passaic County with his wife, called back on his cellphone and was told they he needed to pay $3,900 in back taxes or the amount would skyrocket to $90,000, the sheriff said.
He then kept the man on the phone and sent him to an Office Depot in Wayne with instructions to buy $3,900 in Green Dot money cards.
“The caller knew pertinent information about the intended victim, his wife and residence, which added to the victim’s anxiety,” Saudino said.
The Office Depot manager, sniffing out the scam, made the target hang up.
That’s when the intended victim got another call — from a man claiming to be a Bergen County Sheriff’s Office undersheriff.
The caller ID on the cell phone came back to a working number from the sheriff’s office — possibly rerouted from Passaic County — leading the intended victim to believe the call was genuine, Saudino said.
“The caller also threatened to have officers go to his residence and arrest his wife,” he said.
The man immediately hung up and called a friend at the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, who contacted Saudino’s staff.
An investigation was continuing.
Meanwhile, Saudino urged citizens to NEVER give out personal information over the phone.
DO NOT use prepaid debit cards to send ANY caller money — especially if they claim to be from a government agency, he added.
“No government agency will tell you to make payments to them through a bank or wire transfer,” Saudino said, urging citizens not to hesitate to call police or his office (201-646-2222).
The BCSO also has a tips line: www.bergentip.com
“If you are being asked for your personal information from an unsolicited phone number, hang up immediately and notify your local authorities,” the sheriff said.
“It does not hurt for us to take the time necessary to verify these incidents.”
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