



DODGE COUNTY -- The target of a scam turns the tables on the scammer -- and the would-be victim is the Dodge County Sheriff, Dale Schmidt.





Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt





The scam has been going around for years. The IRS calls threatening to sue you for back taxes. The scammers eventually want you to wire funds. This week, Dodge County has been flooded with these scam calls.



"So I got this phone call. They threatened me saying, 'You are going to be sued,'" said Sheriff Schmidt.



Schmidt got the call and did what the scammer wanted. He called back -- and then recorded that conversation.



Scammer: Thank you for calling the Internal Revenue Service. How may I help you?



Sheriff: This is the sheriff in Dodge County, Wisconsin and I had a complaint about this number -- and I'm trying to confirm that this is in fact the IRS. Is there a way you can confirm this for me.



Scammer: No sir, this is not the IRS. This is a scam.



Sheriff: This is a scam?



Scammer: Yes.



Sheriff: Can you tell me where you're from? Where you're located?



Scammer: In Afghanistan



Sheriff: In Afghanistan?



Scammer: Yes



Sheriff: Can you tell me your name?



Scammer: (tells name)



Sheriff: Why are you scamming our citizens?



Scammer: This is my job, sir.



Sheriff: You're stealing money from people.



Scammer: Yes



The scammer hung up after that.





Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt






"Either he was taken aback because the sheriff was calling him , or he doesn't care because he knows he can't be caught," Schmidt said.



Sheriff Schmidt said if you get a call, the best advice is to do what the scammer did -- hang up. He also said never wire funds without verifying what's going on. Schmidt is aware of one person in Wisconsin who was scammed out of $16,000.