7News Boston WHDH-TV


ASHLAND, Mass. (WHDH) - Ashland Police said they got a call from a man claiming his wife was going to kill him, but when police arrived, they found the woman at home with her 3-year-old child and no evidence of a domestic incident.

Officials said the woman has been the target of a scammer, which started with a phone call from the man, claiming to be from the IRS.

"So this guy calls me and says he's from the IRS and I owe him money," said the woman. "6,000 and something and he said if I don't pay it now, I'll have to pay 64,000 in court."

Then she received another call from someone claiming to be a sheriff. She said the person on the phone got pushy and persistent and when the 35-year-old hung up on him again, police said he actually called the authorities.

According to a press release, police said the man on the phone, who had called utilizing the woman's phone number, said he was being held at gunpoint and that she was going to kill him. They said at one point, he utilized fake gunfire.

Officials surrounded the home and a local school was placed on lockdown.

"10 minutes later, he says look out the window the cops are waiting for you and there literally was," she said.

"Fortunately we were able to adjust our response and act accordingly once the situation was properly diagnosed," the police said in a press release.

The suspect tried to trick the woman into giving him money, then did something called swatting, which is calling 911 and reporting a false crime. The police told 7News that they've had reports of these fake IRS calls before, but nothing on this level.

She now has a little advice for anyone who gets a call like she did.

"Just hang up," she said. "No government agency is going to call you for money."

http://www.whdh.com/story/27156450/ashland-woman-victim-of-swatting-leads-to-lockdown-at-school