A 20 year-old Madison woman was scammed out of $2,000 Monday on N. Brooks St.

According to a Madison Police Department incident report,  after receiving a phone call, she was ordered to stay on the line or a warrant would be issued and she would face arrest. A three hour phone conversation ensued, in which the man on the phone told the woman she owed $9,000 in taxes from student loans.

She abided by the man’s instructions and used her credit card to purchase four $500 Google Play gift cards from Best Buy. She then provided the code numbers on the card to the criminal on the phone.

Sunday afternoon burglary reported in Sellery Residence Hall

MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the police department has seen many similar cases of fraud.

“We see a lot of scams where people claiming to be from the IRS, or a different government agency or a utility company are saying that you owe money, and that if you do not stay on the phone and complete their instructions you will be arrested,” DeSpain said.

DeSpain said this type of fraud is common among college students, the elderly and business owners.

“If someone from the government is calling you and telling you to purchase a gift card, it’s a scam,” DeSpain said. “What is hard is that these people are very convincing and very pushy.”