On Friday, August 8th, 2014, Wayland officers responded to CVS Pharmacy on Boston Post Road on a report of a possible scam. Upon arrival, officers met a woman that had just purchased $2,000 worth of “Green Dot” cards to send to man who had claimed to be with the Internal Revenue Service.

The woman told police that she had returned home from vacation in India and had several voice messages on her cell phone from a man claiming to be “Officer Calvin” from the I.R.S. The man threatened her with arrest if she did not pay an overdue tax bill. After receiving calls from a Washington area phone number (202-864-1326), she went to CVS Pharmacy and purchased the “Green Dot” cards totaling $2,000. Prior to giving the man on the phone the numbers for the Green Dot cards, she decided to contact the police. The police dispatcher advised her not to give the numbers to the man and Officer Mark Hebert responded and advised the woman that the call was a scam. While speaking with the victim, the scammer made several more calls to her cellphone and Officer Hebert got on the phone and advised the scammer that no funds were being sent.

Wayland and other police departments have received numerous reports of this particular scam and the public should be aware that the Internal Revenue Service would never require payment in such a manner.