Tax-return season brings an uptick in scams.

Knoxville Police Chief Dan Losada tells KNIA/KRLS News of some of the warning signs to watch out for include if someone is demanding payment immediately, or if a bank, the federal or state government, or even law enforcement calls looking for payment it is a scam. Chief Losada himself was the target of such a scam, as the Knoxville Police Department received a fax informing him of inheritance from a deceased relative in a different country. Losada went on to say that if you receive a scam and notice it right away, feel free to throw it away or delete. If you want to follow up on a scam and report it to authorities, you can contact an organization called Iowa Crime Complaint Center. Losada said these scams target anybody and everybody, and no reputable company will ask for payment in gift cards.