web1_Jayson-Terdiman-mug.jpg

Berwick’s Jayson Terdiman finishes 10th at World Cup

web1_122213448-d6262a888df84327a7e86b04d9d1950e.jpg

Change your screen habits from time-wasting to money-saving

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The Department of Revenue this week issued a reminder to taxpayers to be cautious of scams and &#8220;phishing&#8221; schemes used to steal taxpayers&#8217; money and personal financial information.&#8220;These scams are especially common at this time of year when people start to file their personal income tax returns,&#8221; Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said. &#8220;Criminals use high-pressure tactics and threats to pressure hard-working Pennsylvanians into providing money or sensitive information. We want the public to be aware of these scams to avoid taking action that they&#8217;ll regret.&#8221;One prevalent scam involves phony &#8220;Final Demand For Payment&#8221; notices that have been mailed to many taxpayers. The notices from the &#8220;Tax Processing Center&#8221; threaten the seizure of property if the recipient of the notice fails to make immediate payment to the &#8220;State of Pennsylvania.&#8221; The notices also provide an 800-number to call to &#8220;avoid enforcement.&#8221;This is a classic scam that uses pressure tactics and fear to motivate the recipient into taking immediate action. Criminals may also access public records so they can include taxpayer-specific information on the notices to make them appear legitimate.Pennsylvanians should also beware of &#8220;phishing&#8221; schemes, which involve the use of fraudulent email messages, deceptive software or malicious files that are designed to steal sensitive information, such as passwords, user-names or personal financial information. Scammers often use this information to steal your money, your identity or both.In addition to individual taxpayers, the IRS reports these schemes have targeted tax professionals, payroll professionals, human resources personnel and school administrators.In one common scam publicized by the IRS, criminals pose as a person or organization the taxpayer trusts or recognizes. They may hack an email account and send mass emails under another person&#8217;s name, or they may pose as a bank, credit card company or tax software provider.Criminals also go to great lengths to create websites that appear legitimate but contain phony log-in pages. These criminals hope victims will &#8220;take the bait&#8221; and provide money, passwords, Social Security numbers and other information that can lead to identity theft.The Department of Revenue asks the public to keep the following tips in mind to safeguard against these deceptive scams:&#8226; Look for impostors: Many times criminals will pose as a government entity or an official business. If you are targeted by a con artist through the mail, phone or email, do not provide personal information or money until you are sure you are speaking to a legitimate representative.&#8226; Examine notifications and electronic messages: Criminals often design vague communications to cast a wide net to lure in as many victims as possible. Examine questionable notices for identifying information that can be verified. Look for blatant factual errors and other inconsistencies, such as a fake return address. If the notice is unexpected and states &#8220;This Is Your Final Notice,&#8221; take a moment and verify its legitimacy. The Department of Revenue will send multiple letters to taxpayers if there is a legitimate liability owed.&#8226; Approach unusual attachments and links with caution: Scammers may include a link or an attachment to an email that is infected with Malware that can download malicious software. Spyware can track the recipient&#8217;s keystrokes to obtain passwords, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or other sensitive information.&#8226; Unusual payment methods: Avoid scenarios where you are asked to pay your debt with re-loadable debit cards, gift cards or money wiring services. The Department of Revenue and other government agencies will never ask you to pay an outstanding liability using these methods.&#8226; Conduct research online: Using information included in a potentially fraudulent notice, such as company name, address or telephone number, conduct a search online to see if a scam has been reported by other people or government agencies.The Department of Revenue reminds taxpayers that it has a Fraud Detection and Analysis Unit dedicated to assisting victims of identity theft and combating tax refund fraud.If you are a victim of identity theft or discover a fraudulent Pennsylvania personal income tax return was filed using your identity, contact the Fraud Detection and Analysis Unit at 717-772-9297 or RA-RVPITFRAUD@pa.gov.For more information on ways to protect yourself, visit Revenue&#8217;s Identity Theft Victim Assistance webpage. You can also find further information about protecting yourself online at PA.gov/Cybersecurity.Wolf proposes $75Mfor new voting systemsGov. Tom Wolf&#8217;s 2019-20 newly unveiled budget proposes a minimum of $15 million each year for the next five years, for a combined total of at least $75 million, in state funding for new voting systems.&#8220;There is widespread agreement across the nation that it is in the best interest of election integrity to use voting systems meeting the highest standards of security and auditability,&#8221; Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said. &#8220;We seek this substantial support because these critical purchases should be funded with a cost-share of federal, state and local funds, as all of us in all levels of government benefit from more secure and verifiable elections.&#8221;The Department of State directed in April 2018 that all Pennsylvania counties switch to voting systems with a paper record that voters can verify by the 2020 primary.The governor has already committed $14.15 million in federal and state funding to counties for new voting systems.Nationwide, there is near universal agreement that Direct Recording Electronic voting machines (DREs), still in use in most Pennsylvania counties, should be replaced, and all voters should be voting on paper ballots they can verify. Pennsylvania is one of only 13 states still using DREs.DePasquale hails bill to strip publicpensions from convicted criminalsAuditor General Eugene DePasquale this week applauded the Pennsylvania Senate&#8217;s unanimous approval of legislation to require public officials and employees convicted of job-related crimes to forfeit their public pensions.DePasquale called for such legislation in his 2017 audit of the State Employees&#8217; Retirement System (SERS). At the time, he applauded the system for enforcing existing law as best it could and suggested the law be broadened.&#8220;It&#8217;s just common sense that no public employee or official should be able to receive pension benefits after using his or her position to commit crimes,&#8221; DePasquale said. &#8220;I urge the House to promptly send this bill to the governor&#8217;s desk.&#8221;The Senate-approved bill would expand the types of crimes that automatically trigger pension forfeiture and also require courts to report convictions to the state&#8217;s pension systems.DePasquale&#8217;s 2017 audit found that between Jan. 1, 2013, and Oct. 31, 2016, SERS identified and closed 109 pension forfeiture cases resulting in 40 pension forfeitures.Wolf makes case for statewidebroadband to support educationGov. Tom Wolf this week highlighted the need for statewide broadband access to increase educational opportunities for Pennsylvania&#8217;s students.&#8220;For Pennsylvania to succeed, we must close the digital divide to ensure every citizen has the access needed to connect to the ever-expanding digital world in which we live and work,&#8221; Wolf said. &#8220;Our students, parents, and our teachers deserve better, and we can provide that through Restore Pennsylvania.&#8221;To achieve these goals, Wolf announced a bold infrastructure initiative &#8212; Restore Pennsylvania &#8212; that would be funded in part by &#8220;a commonsense severance tax.&#8221; Restore Pennsylvania would invest $4.5 billion over the next four years in significant, high-impact projects to help catapult Pennsylvania ahead of every state in the country in terms of technology, development, and infrastructure.However, Republican leadership in the Legislature has come out against enacting a severance tax.<style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Capitol-logo-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Capitol-logo-3.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Bill O&#8217;Boyleboboyle@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</shirttailMeta></div>

Capitol Roundup: Pa. Department of Revenue warns of common scams during tax-filing season