Sheriff Urges Caution of Tax Scams

This time of year, many of us are working on getting our income taxes filed, which can conjure up thoughts of the IRS. Despite only 1% of those who earn less than $200,000.00 being audited each year, 25% have a fear of an audit. Thieves capitalize on that fear and devise schemes to steal your money.

There are various scams thieves will try. One involves calling a potential victim, claiming to be an IRS Agent and saying if payment isn't made immediately over the phone, the Sheriff will come with a warrant and arrest them. Simply put, that's not going to happen.

It's important to know that if the IRS does have questions about your tax returns, they will first notify you by sending a letter through the US Postal Service. They will not call, will not email and will not text you. Any messages received by those means by someone claiming to be a government official, is most certainly a scam.

To help make sure you haven't become the victim of a financial scam it's good to check your credit history. You can do this annually for free by going to annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228. Once you obtain the report you can verify there are no fraudulent credit cards or other accounts opened under your name and identity.

Finally, remember these thieves are good at what they do. If you become a financial crime victim, do not be embarrassed, contact law enforcement so we can help mitigate any further loss.