Sheriff's Corner

Sheriff’s Corner

By Sheriff Mark Howie

Throw back Thursday! An incident that happened a couple years ago involved a teenager who was a passenger in a car on SR4 approaching town. He threw a beverage out the window which struck the front of another car in the adjacent lane. The victim driver called 911 and soon after, the passenger was contacted in town. During the contact the teen took off running toward the marina where he climbed the chain link fence surrounding what he described as a “pond.” He refused to come out until the deputies convinced him that what he was wading in was the sewer treatment plant! He promptly swam to the bank, was hauled away in the back of a pickup, washed in the decon tank and later answered to his actions.

The spring weather is here early after a mild winter and with that comes tax season. Beware of current scams targeting people as they do their taxes. The following is shared from the IRS website regarding tax scams over the phone:

“The IRS has seen a recent increase in local phone scams across the country, with callers pretending to be from the IRS in hopes of stealing money or identities from victims. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do: If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue.

Phishing also is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email or a fake website that poses as a legitimate site to lure in potential victims and prompt them to provide valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this information, a criminal can commit identity theft or financial theft. If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.

It is important to keep in mind the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS has information online that can help you protect yourself from email scams.”

Have a safe March!