More scams reported by south Louisiana consumers

For years, scammers pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service have been calling Acadiana residents trying to con them out of hard-earned money.
In recent weeks BBB has received hundreds of calls regarding the IRS scam as well as two other scams where local residents have lost money. The harsh reality is that every single dollar lost to a scammer equals less money a family has to spend for food, utilities, home repairs and other vital consumer purchases that fuel our local economy. Money stolen by scammers creates a ripple effect in overall consumer purchasing that trickles down to legitimate, honest businesses.
Consumers report phone calls where scammers claim to be IRS agents and demand payment of back taxes or unfiled returns through money wire, pre-paid credit cards or access to bank accounts. They threaten arrest or court actions against the consumer as a fear tactic to con them into paying.
One local resident received a call at work saying she owed back taxes and if not paid immediately her house would be seized as well as all of her belongings. She was instructed to leave work, go to the bank to withdraw the funds and then process a wire transfer. Fearing losing her house, she went to the bank wanting to withdraw thousands of dollars. Thankfully, the bank questioned her and asked her to contact the BBB.
Another resident received a call stating he won a FREE federal grant of $7000 to be deposited into his account within 2 hours if the $250 processing fee was paid. The scammers stayed on the phone with him while he was Wal-Mart initiating the Money Gram transfer. They called him back afterwards and stated he now needed to pay the taxes of $800 through another wire transfer. On his way to the bank to withdraw the money, he stopped by the BBB office. He also informed us he had given them his bank debit card. He called and cancelled his card.
A single mother with four children received a call stating she won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. Her prayers had been answered. She would no longer have to struggle to take care of her family. All she had to do was pay a processing fee. She only had $200 in her account to pay her utility bill and buy food for her children. The scammers had her wire the full amount knowing that was all she had. Scammers don’t care. They will take your last dime.
We ask the viewers to help the BBB spread the word! Tell your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. Post it on social media! The way to stop scammer’s is through education and awareness! Let’s keep our money in our community and out of the hands of scammers!
Report scams on bbb.org/scamtracker.
Please contact Better Business Bureau at 337-981-3497 24 or bbb.org 24 hours a day for information on businesses throughout North America. Consumers can also sign up for our free BBB “Scoop” eNewsletter by visiting bbb.org and clicking on the “Programs & Services” tab.
BBB Serving Acadiana services the parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Landry and Vermilion.