Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Tax Season Scams

BIRMINGHAM, AL - With just about a month left before taxes are due, many people find themselves with refunds from the state and federal government, and when money is involved, unfortunately scammers are not too far away. While scams can occur at any time of the year, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says it has recently observed an increase in scam-related complaints.

According to the Sheriff's Office, two of the most commonly reported scams are the jury duty scam and the online sales scam. With the jury duty scam, the scammers call the victim and identify themselves as a deputy or investigator with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. They tell the victim that they have missed a court appearance or jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for their arrest. They then tell the victim that they can clear everything up by wiring money or by purchasing prepaid debit cards and sending the numbers.

Sheriff Mike Hale says the Sheriff’s Office does not operate in this manner. "We will never call you to collect money for fines or warrants," Hale said. "The Sheriff’s Office does not collect money for fines or fees. These must be paid to the courts through the appropriate clerk’s office."

With the online sales scam, the scammer creates a fake account on an online sales website. They then post popular items for sale with no intention of delivering the goods to the buyer. They often go as far as sending an email to the victim requesting extra money to cover unforeseen shipping costs. Once the victim sends the money the seller disappears and victim never receives the item they thought they were purchasing.

Here are some tips for avoiding the online sales scam:

• Look out for ads with a high amount of spelling or grammatical errors
• Avoid heavily discounted items
• Avoid ads with generic product photos
• Check to see if the same ad is posted in multiple locations
• If the ad seems too good to be true it likely is.

The Sheriff’s Office also encourages you to use payment methods that protect against this kind of fraud. Some payment methods offer buyer protection that refunds your money if the item never arrives or is not what the seller advertised. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam you can always call the Sheriff’s Office at 205-325-1450 to report it.

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