LEE COUNTY, Fla.-- It's tax identity theft awareness week and Florida ranks as one of the top 3 states for identity theft, according to the FTC.
Miriam Dotson of the Lee County Sheriff's Office is breaking down how SWFL ranks when it comes to fraud.
She says the most popular call for the year was the IRS scam, there were almost 1,300 calls on that scam alone.
February is the busiest month for calls to the fraud line, when people start filing their tax returns. April came in a close second.
According to the FTC, Naples ranks 5th in our state for identity theft and Fort Myers-Cape Coral ranks 19th.
This week, the FTC and IRS are hosting free online webinars and chats on the topics so you can learn more by logging on to their websites.
LCSO encourages you to use those resources but also be sure to file early. This way, the scammer gets denied your return instead of you finding out your legitimate file is denied.
For more information on how to protect yourself or if you think you've been a victim of identity theft, call LCSO.
