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Sheriff's Office warns of IRS phone scams in Pinellas County

 
This Aug. 19, 2015, file photo, shows the Internal Revenue Service Building in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
This Aug. 19, 2015, file photo, shows the Internal Revenue Service Building in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Published July 22, 2018

pinellas

Sheriff warns of phone scammers
pretending to be irs

Beware of callers saying they're with the IRS and demanding payments, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office warned Friday.

According to a news release from the agency, scammers have been phoning residents across the county this week and trying to trick them into paying for tax bills that don't exist.

The scammers tell their potential victims that they owe taxes to the IRS and that there is an active warrant out for their arrest, deputies said. Then they instruct citizens to go to the nearest convenience store, purchase pre-paid cards and provide the numbers on the back of them.

Deputies have seen an uptick in the number of reports of this scam, the news release said. They want to remind people that no government agency will request payment for outstanding debts in this way.

Deputies also said citizens should not give out personal information or account information on the phone.

Anyone with information on the scam is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 727-582-6200.

NEW PORT RICHEY

Names released in likely murder-suicide

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office have released the names of two people killed in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide Saturday.

At about 1 p.m. Saturday, Alisa Medovich, 23, of Holiday, was shot and killed by Mario Medina, 43, of New Port Richey, who then shot himself, according to a PCSO release. The incident occurred on Bass Lane in New Port Richey.

The Sheriff's Office did not provide further details, such as the relationship between the two, the precise location of the incident or the circumstances surrounding it.

FORT MYERS

Officer in hospital after getting shot

A Florida police officer is in critical but stable condition after getting shot.

The News-Press of Fort Myers reports that the officer was seriously wounded Saturday night near a gas station. The police officer was taken to the hospital by a fellow officer.

Authorities identified the officer as 29-year-old Adam Jobbers-Miller. He has been with the force since September 2015.

Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs told local reporters that a suspect in the shooting had been taken into custody. But officials still have not given out many details about the incident.

Gov. Rick Scott spoke to the police chief and the local sheriff about the shooting shortly after it happened.

Times staff and wires