A Gwinnett County man says he used his skills as a psychology researcher to turn the tables on a telephone scammer.
"I'm facing five years federal prison and a $95,000 fine," Steve Coeur recalled the scammer saying. The man on the phone was following closely the playbook for the IRS tax scam.
He demanded Coeur go to Walmart and load up a prepaid Green Dot card, to pay a fictitious, but huge tax bill.
Coeur confirmed the scam with the real IRS, and then received an admission when he called back the scammer. He recorded the conversation, which lasted 20 minutes.
"Why do you need to steal my money for?”
"Because I don't have money. That is the reason. Because I'm so poor. I am a poor man," said the scammer.
"Do you hear desperation or do you hear greed?" ask consumer investigator Jim Strickand.
"Both. Desperation that he's not able to con me, and definitely greed," replied Coeur.
A member of a Lawrenceville's Good Samaritan Hatian Alliance Church, Coeur told the man to ask God's forgiveness and to accept the Lord.
"And then you accept him as your personal savior, yes I'll give you $500," Coeur told the man. "After I give you that $500 you won't do this again."
"No, that's $1,000," came the reply.
Coeur's pastor is not surprised at the attempt at repentance.
"I believe he was trying to help that guy make things straight," said Senior Pastor Brave Lavendure.
"I don't think he'll be doing this too long," said Coeur of the man.
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