State Attorney General Kamala Harris has kicked off Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week by issuing tips for Californians to follow to prevent tax-related identity theft as the annual tax compiling and filing process begins.

Tax-related identity theft increases in January and commonly occurs when:

• Thieves use stolen personal information to file tax returns in someone else’s name in order to obtain a refund.
• Thieves use a stolen Social Security number (SSN) for employment, which may complicate state and federal income tax obligations for the victim.
• Thieves send phishing emails that look like they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) that ask for personal information or include links to official-looking Web sites.

California consumers are urged to use the following tips to better prevent tax-related identity theft:

• Never open an email or a text message that says it is from the IRS or the FTB – they are always fraudulent. State and federal tax agencies never initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text message or social media to request personal or financial information or to send notice regarding audits or refunds.
• It’s fine to show your Social Security card to your employer when you start a job or to your financial institution for tax reporting purposes. Do not routinely carry your card or other documents that display your SSN.
• While preparing your tax return for electronic filing, make sure to use a strong password. A strong password is at least eight characters and includes a combination of at least three upper and/or lowercase letters, punctuation, symbols and numerals.
• Once you have e-filed your return, save it to a flash drive, CD or similar device and then delete the tax information from your hard drive. Store the CD or flash drive in a safe place, such as a lock box or safe. If working with an accountant, ask about what measures they take to protect your information.
• Use a locked mailbox and don’t leave your mail in it for long periods of time. Take your mail that contains sensitive information (bills, tax returns) to the post office.
• If your SSN is stolen, reference the California Attorney General’s Identity Theft First Aid page for instructions on what to do: www.oag.ca.gov/idtheft/first-aid .

You may have a tax identity theft problem if you receive a letter from the IRS or FTB stating that:

• you filed more than one tax return,
• someone has already filed using your information,
• you have a balance due, refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year in which you did not file a return, or
• you received wages from an employer for whom you have not worked.

If you receive such a letter (not an email) from the IRS or FTB, immediately contact the agency’s identity theft unit:

Internal Revenue Service: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit
1-800-908-4490

California Franchise Tax Board: www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/id_theft.shtml#ID 
ID Theft Resolution Coordinator
1-916-845-3669

Additional Resources:

Internal Revenue Service

Identity Theft Web pages: www.irs.gov/uac/Suspicious-e-Mails-and-Identity-Theft and

www.irs.gov/uac/Indications-your-identity-may-have-been-stolen-and-how-to-report-it-to-us 

Franchise Tax Board

Identity theft Web page: www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/id_theft.shtml#ID 

California Attorney General

Identity Theft Protection and First Aid: http://oag.ca.gov/idtheft

Federal Trade Commission

Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0029-tax-identity-theft-awareness-week

For more information on how to identify and protect yourself from identity theft visit Attorney General Harris’ Web site, www.oag.ca.gov .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Sierra Club Lake Group has announced a date change for its January meeting.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Round Room at Mendocino College, 2565 Parallel Drive. in Lakeport. The original date had been a day earlier.

Local farmer Sky Hoyt will review a few basic weather concepts, examine the Lake County Ag Forecast Web page, and discuss microclimate observations, with lots of opportunities for questions and group discussion.

The meeting is free and the public is invited.

For more information contact Lake Group Chair Ed Robey at 707-994-8304.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Shannon Michele of Cache Creek Catering and Lake County Wine Studio are presenting a monthly food and wine series featuring gourmet appetizers paired with select Lake County wines.

Locally produced foods are proudly featured as key ingredients in recipes created by Cache Creek Catering.

This month's event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24.

The per person cost is $25 and $20 for Wine Studio club members. Reservations are required.

This month's event will feature a savory root vegetable and beef pot pie with house made pastry paired with a side by side Cabernet Sauvignon offering of Thorn Hill 2008 and Laujor Estate 2010 vintages.

The dessert course will be a white chocolate cheese cake with a winter berry sauce paired with Ceago Soul of Syrah dessert wine.

The Dec. 13 event featured a holiday appetizer menu pairing Cache Creek Vineyards award winning new release, Celebration Reserve Chardonnay, with a specialty Brie and artisan crostini.

That was followed by chorizo and Manchego stuffed figs with Robledo Family Tempranillo, and concluded with a dessert pairing of Riesling roasted pears with Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon Ice wine from Thorn Hill Vineyards.

Feb. 14 will be the next date to follow for the Local Cuisine Scene event with wines from Noggle Vineyards & Winery and Six Sigma.

The series is held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second Friday of each month, with January's event being the exception to the normal schedule.

The Lake County Wine Studio is located at 9505 Main St., Upper Lake.

For reservations and additional information, contact Susan Feiler at the Lake County Wine Studio, 707-293-8752.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Services Director Caroline Chavez has announced holiday hours for garbage disposal and curbside service for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

On Monday, Jan. 20, the Eastlake Landfill and the Lakeport Public Services office will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Residential pickup will be on its regularly scheduled day.

The Eastlake Landfill and Public Services will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Normal operating hours at the landfill are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The Public Services office is normally open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information visit the county Web site at www.recycling.co.ca.us or call 707-262-1618.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Janie Rezner's guest on Women's Voices, KZYX, on Monday, Jan. 20, will be American mountaineer, writer and environmental health scientist Arlene Blum.

The show will begin at 7 p.m.

Blum is best known for leading an all-woman ascent of Annapurna, a climb that was also the first successful American ascent.

She is currently on a crusade against chemical flame retardants, which are found in almost all upholstered furniture.

High concentrations have been found in the bodies of creatures as geographically diverse as salmon, peregrine falcons, cats, whales and polar bears.

A recent study of toddlers in the United States conducted by researchers at Duke University found flame retardants in the blood of every child they tested.

The chemicals are associated with an assortment of health concerns, including antisocial behavior, impaired fertility, decreased birth weight, diabetes, memory loss, undescended testicles, lowered levels of male hormones and hyperthyroidism.

The show will air at 90.7 FM Philo, 88.1 FM Fort Bragg, 91.5 FM Willits and streaming live at www.kzyx.org . It also will be archived at http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/4206 along with past shows.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Branch 133 of the Sons In Retirement will hold its next meeting on Friday, Jan. 17.

The group meets at the Greenview Room, Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course, 19210 Hartman Road, on the third Friday of each month.

The meeting starts at 11 a.m., with lunch served at noon.

Sons In Retirement is a social organization for men of retirement age who are pursuing the goal of enjoying their later years. It has 142 branches with 18,000 members throughout the state.

Anyone interested in learning more about Sons In Retirement is encouraged to contact Secretary Buddy Clayton at 707-995-1673 or Membership Chairman Bill Brewster at 707-987-9352, or visit www.sirinc.org .