From January 22-29, Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 785 calls for service/events. Higher call volumes occurred in the following areas: Traffic Stops-144, Car In The Ditch-38, Suspicious Subject/Situation/Vehicle-35, Property Damage Crashes-28, Check Well Beings-26, Traffic Violations-26, Shoplifting Complaints-25, Assist Citizen/Motorist Assists-24, Alarms-20, Car/Deer Accidents-20, Larcenies-20, Personal Injury Crashes-19, Vacation Checks-17, Traffic Hazards-17, Domestic Disputes-13, and Unwanted Subject-13.
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.
Ghost tax preparers - It’s important to choose someone reputable and knowledgeable to prepare your taxes because you’re responsible for what’s on your tax return even if you didn’t prepare it.
There are also scammers who pose as tax pros and specialize in tax return fraud. They might claim tax credits that you don’t qualify for to beef up your tax refund and demand a percentage or reroute your tax refund to their bank account. Many of these shady preparers are known as “ghost preparers,” because they don’t sign the returns they prepare, which is required by law.
How to protect yourself: Only work with trusted tax preparers and don’t accept an unsigned tax return. The IRS offers tips for how to find a reputable tax preparer, including a directory of credentialed pros.
Fake charities - Natural disasters, or widespread emergencies like COVID-19, offer opportunities for scammers to solicit donations via fake charities. Often, they’ll use websites or email addresses with similar names to legitimate charities.
Yours in Public Safety,
Sheriff Tom Reich