Jack Nelson has been enjoying his retirement spending time on his farm with his wife and their animals, but as he ages he said the scams seem to pick up.
"About two weeks ago I received a phone call saying they're from the IRS," said Nelson.
He was told there was a pending lawsuit against him.
"I asked them what it was all about, and they said I would need to call this number they gave me to find out what the lawsuit was all about and how much money I owed," said Nelson.
Nelson didn't do what they asked, but two weeks later they tried again, and he called them back.
He said the man on the other end of the line asked for his name.
"I said well I'm sorry but I don't know who you are, and I'm reluctant to give out any kind of information," said Nelson. "If you have my name you tell me what it is, and I'll say yes or no. He said why don't you just hang up and called me a bad word."
Nelson told his neighbors, the media, and the authorities.
"I called my sheriff, and he said they were getting these kind of calls, but they didn't get involved in them unless there was some kind of theft," he said.
Fortunately Nelson kept up-to-date with the latest scams online, so he knows the IRS would first reach out by mail.
He told his neighbors and others to follow the advice of police.
"When they tell you if you get these calls to hang up immediately, that's the thing to do," Nelson said.
The IRS will never ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor ask for a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.
Also, if the caller threatens police arrest, that's a sign that it really isn't the IRS calling. For advice on what you can do if this happens to you, click here.
