On the latest “Santa Clarita Sheriff Talk” on KHTS AM-1220, Sgt Chris Maurizi from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s Detective Bureau discussed phone scams in Santa Clarita.

Phone scams are handled by the bureau’s burglary/theft team, which is comprised of Maurizi and nine detectives he oversees.

“Since I have been at the station, I’ve noticed a little bit of an increase (in phone scams),” Maurizi said. “We probably average anywhere between 10 and 20 a month.”

The most common phone scam seen this time of year involves a scammer posing as the IRS and claiming the victim owes money.

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“It’s based on the time of year, because people do expect to hear from the IRS, whether it’s a refund or whether you owe money,” Maurizi explained. “The simplest way to combat that scam is to hang up on the person and call the IRS or call the franchise tax board and inquire about your taxes, or contact whoever did your taxes.”

Many phone scams involve a scammer posing as a government official and claiming the person missed jury duty, has a traffic warrant or an outstanding arrest warrant, or has a loved one in jail in need of bail money.

The most important thing to remember about these types of phone scams, Maurizi noted, is that government officials will never make phone calls to collect payments.

“Law enforcement, the courts, whether it’s city, state, county, federal — we do not solicit money over the phone,” Maurizi said.

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These types of scams are typically not easily traceable until after the scammer has finished scamming people, according to Maurizi, making educating the public vital in preventing these crimes.

“People need to take a little bit more precaution about what they’re doing online and on the phone,” he said. “If you navigate the internet appropriately, you can find a bunch of information that educates you on that.”

Some websites with official information regarding phone scams, according to Maurizi, include the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI. Residents can also follow the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station on Nixle to be notified of scams and other crimes in the area.

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