From January 15-22, Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 797 calls for service/events. Higher call volumes occurred in the following areas: Traffic Stops-229, Suspicious Subject/Situation/Vehicle-47, Shoplifting Complaints-37, Traffic Violations-28, Assist Citizen/Motorist Assists-26, Vacation Checks-23, Check Well Beings-21, Alarms-18, Traffic Hazards-17, Property Damage Crashes-14, Larcenies-12, Domestic Disputes-12, Unwanted Subject-12, Civil Complaints-9, Car/Deer Accidents-8, and Personal Injury Crashes-7.
Tax Scams continued - Here’s a rundown on what the IRS will or won’t do and how to tell when you’re dealing with the real thing.
Unemployment benefits fraud - Keep an eye out for signs that someone may have applied for unemployment or other benefits in your name. Those signs might include receiving mail from a government agency about the claim or unexpected debit cards.
How to protect yourself: If someone fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits in your name, report that to the IRS. Only report the income you personally received on your tax form.
Tax refund fraud - Scam artists might call or email you claiming that they’re from the government and need more information before sending your tax refund. Some scammers file phony tax returns in your name to get a hold of your tax refund check or they might call or email you claiming that you need to pay a small fee to receive your tax refund or another benefit.
How to protect yourself: Protect your personal information as much as possible. That means making sure your WiFi is password protected and that you don’t share personal information on public networks. Also, know that the IRS won’t call you about an unexpected tax refund or Economic Impact Payment. When in doubt, call the IRS directly.
Yours in Public Safety,
Sheriff Tom Reich