Warner Robins Police say they have seen a spike in phone scams.
Over the last few weeks, they received about 50 complaints from people saying they received a call from someone claiming they were from the IRS.
"When I first picked up the phone and started talking to the guy, I was convinced I was about to go to jail," says Robert Barnes, who received one of those calls.
"They told me they had done an audit, and when they did the audit, it came back with me owing $3,000."
The caller told Barnes if he did not pay up, he would be locked up.
"I've got a wife, two daughters, and a daughter on the way," Barnes says. "I freaked out a little bit."
However, when the man asked for his bank number, Barnes says he knew something was not right.
Fortunately, Barnes did not give any money or information. The call was a scam, but not everybody realizes that.
"It's very easy, and the victims are plentiful," says Detective Mark Wright with the Warner Robins Police Department.
He says these thieves are taking advantage of tax season, and he is working one of these cases right now.
"Someone from out of state received a phone call, and they actually wired money here," he explains.
The scammer was in Warner Robins.
"It is very difficult to pin someone down, and the bad guys know that," Wright says.
Since many of the scammers use "burner" phones, or disposable phones used to commit crimes, they can be difficult to track.
To demonstrate, Barnes tried calling back the number that dialed him, only to find it disconnected.
However, Wright says finding the criminal is not impossible, as demonstrated by his current case.
"There's information of an individual that actually picked up the money, so that's a little bit more of a lead," he explains. "We're able to obtain surveillance video from where the money is picked up."
This is not just a local problem. According to the IRS website, since 2013, victims have collectively paid almost $27 million as a result of scams. There has also been a 400 percent increase in email schemes just this year.
"He was very professional. He's done this many, many times," says Barnes.
Even if the caller sounds legitimate, Wright says not to buy it.
The IRS will never call or email you.
He says if you receive a call like that, hang up and file a police report.
You can also report the number to the IRS by calling 800-366-4484.