Pierce County 
Safe Living - Tip of the Month
BE AWARE OF SCAMS
Pierce County Sheriff Department wants to make you aware of scams that have been occurring. Recently the IRS cautioned taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams involving proposed advance rebate payment checks. Even though there is no formal stimulus package approved, a scam which uses the proposed rebates as bait have already occurred.
Many scams include the goal of tricking people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers.
Typically, identity thieves use a victim’s personal and financial data for cyber crimes. Most of these fraudulent activities can be committed electronically from a remote location, including overseas. Committing these activities in cyberspace allows scammers to act quickly and cover their tracks before the victim becomes aware of the theft.
There are several IRS scams currently identified:
Rebate phone call: Anyone identifying themselves as an IRS employee and asking for your bank account number, social security number, or any other personal information should be considered a scammer.
Refund e-Mail: Same as above: Filing a tax return is the only way to request a tax refund.
Audit e-Mail: An e-mail is sent to you advising your tax return will be audited. This is a phony e-mail. The IRS does not send tax account related e-mails to an individual. They again ask for personal and financial account information.
Changes to Tax Law e-Mail: An e-mail is sent advising of new tax laws and provides web addresses to those new laws. It is believed that a malicious computer code is downloaded to your computer, allowing an outsider in to your home computer and then accessing your personal information once you click on an address provided..
Paper Check Phone Call: Someone calls claiming to be from the IRS. They indicate a check has been sent to you earlier and not cashed, so they want to verify your bank account number and get the money to you. Do not give out any personal information to unsolicited callers.
If you need information from the IRS web site, it is best to type in the www.irs.gov address and look for information from there. If you wish to contact the IRS about possible fraud activities, you can e-mail them at phishing@irs.gov.
There is also a scam out there targeting the elderly. An individual will call and say they are from Social Security or Medicare. They ask for your Medicare number and other personal and financial account information. Do not give them this information.
A basic rule to follow is: If you did not initiate the call or the e-mail, do not give out any personal or financial account information requested.
You can also contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department at 715-273-5051 to report any fraudulent or suspicious activities.