The IRS is spreading the word that a popular scam is circulating again, and a Norwalk woman almost fell victim to it.

The IRS says callers claim to be from the agency and demand money.

LaShawnda Prezzie, of Norwalk, received a call claiming to be from the agency. She says a man on the phone told her to withdraw $5,000 and then go to the ACME grocery market in New Canaan to send the money to them. But Prezzie says when she was in the store and on the phone with the man, he told her to buy gift cards with the money and that was a red flag.

Prezzie says the man repeatedly called back and threatened her after she hung up.

When she walked outside the grocery store, she saw a New Canaan police officer, who told her it was a scam and then got the guy to stop calling her.

She now wants to raise awareness so other people don't fall for the trap.

New Canaan police tell News 12 they've been receiving a lot of calls about this scam in the last few months.

The IRS says it has found more than 5,000 people who have fallen victim in recent years, collectively losing more than $26 million.

The IRS urges anyone who receives a scam call to report it on its website.