A 20-year-old University of Georgia student reported on Monday he lost nearly $4,000 in a telephone scam by people claiming to be with the government, Athens-Clarke County police said.
The student said he was in class when he received a call from someone who told him there were warrants charging him with tax evasion and obstruction, and that the caller asked him for the local police department’s phone number, according to police.
The student said he then received a call from someone claiming to be with the Athens-Clarke County Police who instructed him to wire money to quash the warrants, and after the money was sent the caller said the warrants “didn’t clear” and more money was needed, according to police. Even more money was demanded for “attorney fees,” according to police.
The student, who withdrew a total of $3,970 from his bank account in the scam, said he learned he was ripped off when he called the local police department.