>> scammers taking advantage of unsuspecting victims this tax season, 8 on your side has the important warning that you need to hear. >> the zika virus on the rise with nine cases now confirmed in florida and it's no longer just mosquitoes spreading the disease. >> tornado touchdown, a large twister leaves a past of destruction in the deep south and more strong storms could still be on the way. good evening, everyone. i'm josh benson. >> i'm jennifer leigh. thanks for joining us. we are starting with an 8 on your side consumer alert. scammers are working to target you this tax season. we've already seen the arrest of an accused scammer in the bay area and tonight the irs has a warning. these scam artists threaten you with arrests, deportation or a lawsuit and in the end the fake irs agents steal thousands of dollars. peter bernard joins us now live from pinellas county. the last time you did a story on this it went viral. what's new tonight? >> reporter: a lot of people

finding an irs con artist is a difficult task. they can do their dirty kids pretty much anywhere with a telephone. tonight listen to yourself a call a bay area woman received. >> hello. this call is officially a final notice from irs, internal revenue service. >> reporter: sun city center dr. gail dudley recorded this message on her answering machine. >> the reason of this call is to inform you the irs is filing lawsuits against you. >> reporter: she saw our 8 on your side story explaining how this st. petersburg man is accused of ripping off a guy in denver by having someone deported. did that strike a nerve? >> yes, yes. i've seen these stories before over the last year or two, but last night when i saw that i thought let me just see if anybody else had this happen. >> reporter: fake irs calls are surging across the country. since 2013 the agency has logged almost 1 million contacts about the scammers with more than 5,000 victims who lost more than $26 million. them.

you think it was the irs? >> no, no. i read too much in my aarp journal and so i knew it wasn't. >> reporter: the denver victim is kick himself for falling for the scam -- kicking himself for falling for the scam. >> afterwards these guys kept calling wanting more and more money. >> feel very badly for him because if you don't know not to play this game, then you're going to have money stolen. >> reporter: 8 on your side discovered the irs will never demand payment on the phone, require a certain payment method or ask for a credit card number on the phone or threaten to call police. >> don't always assume that that phone call is from who it says it is. >> reporter: good ideas there. the caller id on that phone came back to a shawne williams in washington d.c. i called the number and it just rang and rang. apparently shawne williams bs the gig is up. >> -- knows the gig is up. >> i've seen these sort of suspicious calls come to my home phone.

the call is coming from from the irs. >> reporter: isn't that something? that's called spoofing. they can pick pretty much any organization out there, in this case the irs. you think it's legit, but it's not. again just hang up. >> thank you, peter. well, the zika virus is spreading. tonight. there are now two cases in hillsborough county. across florida the total number nine. the world health organization calls this virus a public health emergency. josh, tell us about these new cases. >> yeah, starting to be a big concern. two of the cases in florida are in hillsborough county as you mentioned. the others are in miami-dade, lee and up in santa rosa county. with the mosquito borne virus spreading so explosively across the americas health officials want everyone to be prepared. the zika virus keeps on spreading.

nine cases in florida were contracted outside of the state, the world health organization calling it a public health emergency. they expect at least 3 million zika infections over the next year. >> a coordinated international response is needed to minimize the threat in affected countries and reduce the risk of further international spread. >> reporter: zika is linked to a birth defect that leads to babies being born with abnormally small heads. none of the cases here in florida involve pregnant women, but in nine cases already governor rick scott wants to make sure the state is prepared to deal with this virus. >> i want to stay informed with what the cdc is saying so if there's things we need to be doing, fortunately right now we only have cases in our state of individuals that have traveled to other countries and come to our state, but i want to make sure we're ready and prepared. >> reporter: just two weeks ago the count was one case in hillsborough and only three statewide. mosquitoes aren't the only way to transmit the zika virus.

confirmed the first case of zika virus transmetted through sexual contact. -- transmitted through sexual contact. medical experts say this comes as no surprise. >> we don't know how long someone can stay infectious, but in this case someone had just gotten sick and that person's sexual partner developed zika without a travel history. >> reporter: cdc officials confirmed both individuals in dallas do have the zika infection. >> most infected people will not have symptoms. experts are concerned about a potential link between zika and the rise in birth defects in parts of latin america. with the zika virus spreading you'll want to stay on top of this with all the newest information. you can find that now on our website homepage at www.wfla.com. right now strong storms are moving across alabama and mississippi. storm team 8 chief meteorologist steve jerve joins us now. we're talking about several tornadoes. >> and large tornadoes, ef3,

we'll know more when we start to see -- greater. we'll know more when when he start to see the damage -- when we start to see the damage tomorrow. a large tornado touchdown down in pickens county about 45 miles west of tuscaloosa. there are reports of damaged homes, downed tree and power lines, wedge tornadoes extremely destructive and wide at the base. also getting our first look at the damage of a federal prison in pickens county. the roof you can see is mangled. authorities were just getting to the scene to make sure everyone was okay. people in the area were urged to take shelter. there have been no reports of casualties so far. incredible severe thunderstorms and good early warning in that area. the tornado watch was issued and, of course, tornado warnings have been issued along the way. this is part of a larger storm system causing snow to the north. you can see throughout the day the line of thunderstorms and it continues to move through sections of mississippi, bam p.m. and now into tennessee --

this is how it's been the last five hours in that tract roughly from philadelphia, mississippi, west of birmingham and west of tuscaloosa. these are all storm reports, all tornado reports, and we'll learn more tomorrow as we get some light and see some of the damage in and around this area, but it can be very intense when you run this cool air up against warm, humid air from the gulf. that's what we're seeing tonight. >> our hearts go out to those folks overnight. thank you, steve. four employees at the falconburg academy are suspended after two teams escaped their facility. 18-year-old anthony bays and 14- year-old anthony cook are still on the run. it took over an hour and a half for workers to discover the teens missing. a spokesperson tells us their investigation raises questions about if staff members followed procedures. devices that could easily be used to kill found in a quiet neighborhood, the same type of explosives a terrorist

tonight the man who made this terrifying discovery talks only to news channel 8. ken o'neil turned michael ramos in after he spotted pipe bombs inside his tampa home. the two were business partners that sold -- from a business rather that sold body armor. >> i had to make a really tough choice here and there's people that hate me for it. there's people that thank me for it. >> agents found eight homemade pipe bombs and, an ak-47, handgun, tear gas and smoke grenades inside of ramos' home. after his arrest the atf claims michael ramos voiced anti- government sentiments. ramos will go before a federal judge tomorrow to face weapons charges. well, this isn't something you see every day. a small single engine plane sitting under water on the ocean floor. the plane came to rest in shallow water about 40 feet

a witness said they saw the passenger swim to shore as the plane took about two minutes to sink. the two people inside the plane were not injured. heartbreak for a naples couple who lost everything after their house burnt down on the first day of their lease. they had just unloaded their belongings the night before. when they returned the next morning, the house was in flames. fire officials say the fire was caused by boxes left on the stove. the couple didn't realize the knobs were on. so when the utilities were turned on, the boxes caught fire. in the fight for your vote the presidential candidates hit the ground running today in new hampshire. fresh off a victory in the iowa caucuses ted cruz has his sights set on pulling ahead of donald trump and marco rubio. and it was a very tight race on the democratic side, but hillary clinton edged out rival sanders to win the night. very close race. sanders says regardless of the loss he still has the momentum. he and clinton are joining all

the primary there is one week from tonight. tampa mayor bob buckhorn is headed to new hampshire to help bring in votes for senator clinton. buckhorn will trade in the sunny florida weather for cold temps over the weekend. the mayor tells news channel 8 he didn't think the iowa caucus would be so close last night, but he hops to help get voters to the polls -- hopes to help get voters to the polls up in new hampshire. >> i'm just going to knock on doors and make phone calls and do whatever they need me to do. i had to go online and buy winter boots and a few other things because i don't have them. >> and it gets cold. well, the mayor tells news channel 8 that he is footing his own bill for this trip. 8 on your side's own candace mccowan is traveling to new hampshire to the primaries later this week following the candidates on the campaign trail covering the races and how they affect voters here in florida. don't miss our special your vote coverage live from new

united airlines is going back to an old policy. coming up next what this means the next time you try and fly with your kids. >> and the party is over, what's being done about the trash left behind after gasparilla. vo: know you have a dedicated advisor and team who understand where you come from. we didn't really have anything, you know. but, we made do. vo: know you can craft an investment plan

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good news for parents starting february 15th. you have kids under the age of 2 , you'll be allow -- if you have kids under the age of 2, you'll be allowed to preboard going on right after people with disabilities and active military personnel in uniform. united dropped the policy back in 2012 but a spokesman says

simply the right thing to do. if you use a surface pro tablet computer from microsoft, be careful with the cord because it could burst into flames. microsoft is recalling more than 2 million ac power cords sold before march 15th last year. it could overheat and even catch fire. five people reported being shocked. if you have one, don't use it and contact microsoft for a free replacement. legislation born from a forward. patty's law was given tentative approval by the state senate today current state law says dogs who cause that kind of injury must be put down. a judge gave patty a reprieve and now lawmakers are moving specific law. >> every. if you've been waiting to sign up for -- if you've been waiting to sign up for this year's gasparilla classic, you won't want to wait much longer.

27,855 runners have signed up for either the 5k, 8k, 15k or 1/2 marathon. the races are scheduled the weekend of february 20th and 21st. if you have any questions about sign-up, all the information is under the don't miss it section of www.wfla.com. well, the parade and pirates are gone, but some of the trash lingers. ever stop to think about how much trash is left behind after gasparilla festivities? tampa solid waste department tells us they've already cleaned up 45 tons of trash. the clean-up starts when the last float finishes the parade, but some are still worried about the trash in the bay and how it impacts marine life. >> yeah. the trash that goes in the water can definitely impact the wildlife that's out there. the beads and other trash thrown overboard can be eaten by animals. animals can get entangled in it. it causes a lot of problems. >> the florida aquarium has

clean up after the gasparilla parade the past four years, important work. well, a bay area father and son can thank some local boy scouts for their quick actions following a boating accident. >> their boat hit an object as they traveled down the manatee river. it flipped and they were tossed into the chilly water. a boy scout troop camping nearby heard screams for help. two scouts jumped into a canoe and quickly came to their aid. >> i was a little panicked at first, but then i fell right back into my training and said this is what we need to do. we need to get the kid warmed up, get him checked out. make sure he's still breathing. >> the 7-year-old boy who may have been hit by a propeller is being treated at all children's hospital. his father has been treated and released. well, check this out. our very own keith cate going

the wheel. photojournalist jim hockett shot keith navigating icy roads in iowa on his way to the airport to come back to florida. he made tunnel scathed happy to report -- made it unscathed happy to report. a full on blizzard going on in northwest iowa earlier in des moines. punxsutawney phil had his day determined spring arrives early, which is no doubt happy good news to the folks in iowa tonight. 82 degrees today, 84 degrees the record set in 1990. we did not reach a record but certainly were plenty warm in the low 80s today. our eight-day forecast says warm again tomorrow, 73 degrees thursday. temperatures fall off friday and saturday, sunday, monday below the average lines. we're starting another round of chillier temperatures after some very warm numbers here. if you are visiting from out of town, know us floridians like it cool once in a while, just not that cold. this is our picture from lakeland tonight, john gives a

don't forget storm team 8 weather max, our -- gorgeous shot, don't forget storm team 8 weather max our app, download it for free. probably some extra clouds as the day goes along tomorrow and a possibility of a shower later in the day, very light stuff. 70s, very high dew points today, so feels very mild, makes you want to reach for the old air conditioner on the dial there. 69 degrees in north port, 73 brooksville, visibility not as bad as 24 hours ago, but we can see fog form because the humidity has been so high. dew points are high today. this area of low pressure with the snow to the north especially on the northwest side nasty with strong wind gusts, still blizzard warnings all the way back into nebraska, southern minnesota, northwest iowa. winter weather advisories go into wisconsin. in the warmer stuff rain and norms and severe thunderstorms, supercell thunderstorms today producing those tornadoes. you can see that line continues

mississippi, into the north part of alabama at this hour. a few clouds to our north as well kind of moving west to east across the area. we did see a few light rain showers south of haines city earlier today and looking for fog on the map. could see sea fog primarily inland fog, but it could be thick in spots like this morning. for tomorrow morning lingering clouds, areas of fog here on the map. that's what our rpm forecast model is telling us. tomorrow afternoon a few showers north, well above average temperatures as this front starts to move in. the rain chance is primarily thursday, a late chance on wednesday associated with this front, but as this front comes in, that's our best chance of seeing showers, potentially a thunderstorm. they will not be severe like they are in alabama tonight, but potentially could see some lightning strikes as this moves into the area mostly to the north. once that front pushes down to the south, we see a wind switch to the north. then we start that cooler trend that will hold on for some time. we see another disturbance

into sunday and up our rain chance and potential for stronger thunderstorms there. these are the highs tomorrow. temple terrace to palm harbor to plant city, very warm numbers kind of like today, highs in the blow 80s. rain chance -- low 80s. rain chance 70% chance. friday 63 degrees the high, 71 saturday, 63 again for sunday. the rain chances later saturday into sunday at 40% and i mentioned that possibility seeing some stronger thunderstorms through this period behind that system, cooler temperatures again. we're headed into a cooler period that could go for a week and beyond. if you like it warm, now you'll get cool. >> more seasonal, i guess. >> thank you. coming up next in sports the lightning draw a tough test right away after the all-star break. >> the future of college football will change tomorrow thanks to the pen and the fax machine. dan lucas shows us what the bay area has in store for national

>> plus here's what you'll see tomorrow at 6 a.m. >> reporter: a new report by the state of florida shows a local school district failed to recheck the backgrounds of dozens of employees who come into contact with kids, what the district is doing right now to fix the problem. >> plus weather and traffic on

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sports on news channel 8 is brought to you by your gulf coast honda dealers. >> it might be rusty at the start both teams, but we've got to continue our winning ways to put ourselves in a position to be in the playoffs. >> let's hear it for the toronto maple leafs who beat boston tonight keeping the lightning alone in the second place in the atlantic division. now the bulls get their chance to push for the playoffs beginning tomorrow night. now comes the tough part. the lightning get the red wings and the penguins in a span of three days. head coach jon cooper jolted the system this morning with a fast pace practice. the players feel good after the all-star break, but will they find that urgency tomorrow? >> there's definitely not an ease in process. two teams were fighting positions with, so obviously

it's going to be intense and we'll have to be ready. >> and when we all wake up tomorrow, the returns will already be rolling in. the future of your favorite college football team is at stake on national signing day. the bay area is spoiled when it comes to football talent. tomorrow we'll see dreams come true and perhaps just the beginning of something bigger. just before 11:00 wednesday morning tampa catholic wide receiver nate craig meyers will announce his college choice on national television. he is not alone. dozens of bay area players will do the same and while there are no guarantees the future of football will happen before our very eyes. yes, that's a florida gator snuggie. armwood high's matt jones give us a first on signing day in 2012. >> my mom shed a tear for me.

get out of the house and do something with myself. >> boy, he did do something. jones' college career was brief because he now run the football for the washington redskins. what about the young man next to jones that morning? eric stryker was proud to be an oklahoma sooner. in three months you will hear his name at the nfl draft. >> and i always caught myself comparing it back to florida. >> some guys are destined for greatness. wharton high's vernon hargraves, iii had national attention during his signing day. he'll have it again during the first round of the nfl draft. signing day is a destination as much as it is a beginning and a chance for bay area football fans to say we knew them back then. >> you're right. we really are spoiled. >> yeah. >> it is so much fun signing day and when i say we're going to have 100 kids for the bay area going to the big schools,

>> i can't imagine how exciting that would be for them and the family. >> i say it's a destination on that day, but it's really the beginning of a career for all these guys. >> everybody in the nfl all came from somewhere, all those stories. >> congratulations in advance to everyone and have fun. take lots of pictures, wear a snuggie. >> enjoy the moment. >> we'll be right back with

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winning lotto numbers cash 3, 2, 8, 0, play 4, 8, 2, 3, 3, fantasy 5, 8, 19, 32, 27, 25, the lucky ball 5 and the mega millions and the mega ball is 9. may have a bit of a cooldown on the way. >> absolutely. tomorrow morning we'll definitely see some patchy fog, probably not as thick as it was, 69 degrees. in a couple of days that will be our high temperature. watch for the fog, again not as thick as it was this morning. yes, the cold front is on its way, rain thursday, cooler friday. friday is kind of nice with sun and chillier temps. in our night cap i think it's safe to say most mornings

to this little guy. hit the snooze button. this pup doesn't want to wake up. no amount of prodding will get him to rise. he just rolls over. i've done that for sure. that's the life right there. >> every single workday is what that is. thanks for joining us. jimmy fallon coming up next. >> have yourself a wonderful night!