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Special to the Advance

Criminals work hard to steal your personal information and your money. Don’t make it easier for them.

Crooks continue to hassle and deceive honest taxpayers through every medium they can; including, for example, phone calls promising to help you get money back from the state of Alabama. DO NOT fall for these scams, and report them when they happen to you.

A recent call reported to the Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR) featured a “salesperson” who referenced a refund “due to economic hardships due to inflation for qualified businesses” that could “cover things from gas, utilities, among other things.”

This is not a legitimate call. ALDOR does not work with third parties to provide rebates to taxpayers, nor does ALDOR negotiate with tax relief companies, and we only work with taxpayers regarding debt collections.

Don’t be fooled. If you get calls that include any of these or other attempts to solicit personally identifiable information, offer rebates, or force payments, you should:

• NOT give out any information;
• Hang up immediately; and
• Call ALDOR at 251-380-3508.

To learn more about scams related to the IRS, visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts.