Last week a local resident of Woodsboro brought a notice in to the H&R Block Office in Woodsboro with information about possible benefits that the citizen would receive if they sent in certain information proving they are the true recipient.

The letter had IRS letter head and looked so official that the recipient took it to the H&R Block office Tuesday with questions. The office staff saw too many irregularities in the letter that a lay-person probably would not catch.

Doing the right thing, H&R employee researched the information as well as the content and found out that this was just a scam to retrieve information for identity theft. In an identity theft scam, a person committing the fraud often poses as a trusted government, financial or business institution or official and tries to trick a victim into revealing personal and financial information such as credit card numbers and pass words, bank account numbers and passwords, Social Security numbers and more.

Generally identity thieves steal information to run up charges on credit cards, apply for loans, new credit cards and/or to get services or even benefits. How would you like to find out your insurance company is dropping you because you’re addicted to cocaine? This happens once the thieves’ has your information they can use it for everything you use it for.

Or find out you owe income tax because you were employed at 81 different jobs at one time, in one year. This happens by the use of the SSN. You may say that only happens in the big city, but two years ago local law enforcement broke up an identity theft ring working out of the Inns of Texas right here in Refugio.

Don’t get caught, criminals that call or email are out to fraud, when it takes place via e-mail they are called “phishing” scams.

Don’t fall for it. Most government offices emails end in “.gov” not .com or .net. That’s one fast way of seeing through the bull. Be smart like our citizen in Woodsboro. Ask an expert, a policeman, or call us here at the Chamber.

We know experts that can help you. Remember in the country, you’re never alone (you have friends and neighbors) and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Special thanks go to the Staff at H&R Block in Woodsboro open every Tuesday, until tax season when they are open six days a week.

For more information contact your Refugio County Chamber of Commerce, 301 N Alamo Refugio Texas 78377 or at 361-526-2835.