Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon is reminding the public with tax season here to watch out for scams.
How to Prevent Becoming a Victim. The following steps can help prevent you from becoming a victim of a tax related scam.
* Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking for information. Always verify.
* Do not reveal information about you that can give the suspect credibility in future correspondence.
*Do not reveal financial information in email, do not respond to email solicitations, confirm with sender by alternative means to directly verify legitimacy of request.
* Pay attention to the URL of website links. Hover over the link to ensure legitimacy, beware of spelling variations.
* The IRS will not initiate contact via email DO NOT REPLY to emails purporting to be from the IRS; the IRS initiates contact via mail.
As always, you may contact the Richland County Sheriff’s Office if you think you’ve been a victim or you are suspicious of a tax related scam by calling dispatch at 419-524-2412.