BBB Tip of the Week: Tax season is upon us – are you ready?
Tax season is upon us in the United States, and so are those individuals who want to take identity, personal information and money.
Con artists are using the Social Security numbers of unsuspecting Americans to file phony tax returns and steal their refunds. Make sure you are aware of the risks and methods that could leave you vulnerable to having your valuable information taken this year. Let’s dive deeper on how your information can be taken as well as what you can do.
How the scam works
You file your taxes and expect a refund from the Internal Revenue Service as normal. Instead, you get a written IRS notice stating more than one tax return was filed using your Social Security number.
What happened? Scammers got ahold of your personal information, such as your Social Security number, address and birth date. They filed your return early and received your refund before you even got around to filing. Tax ID theft is a particularly sneaky con because victims typically don’t realize they’ve been targeted until they try to file their taxes for real.
Scammers steal your tax information in several ways. You may have fallen for a phishing scam at an earlier time, used a corrupt tax preparation service or had your information exposed in a hack or data breach. Sometimes tax scammers file in the name of a deceased person or steal children’s identities to claim them as dependents.
How to avoid the scam
File early. The best way to avoid tax identity theft is to file your taxes as early as possible, before a scammer has the chance to use your information.
Watch out for red flags. If you receive written notice from the IRS about a duplicate return, respond promptly. You may also receive an IRS notice stating that you’ve received wages from somewhere you never worked, or receive other notices that don’t apply to you. Another big red flag is if you receive a notice staying “you owe additional tax; refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return” (IRS). Contact the IRS if you have any suspicions that a return has been filed in your name.
Protect your Social Security number. Don’t give out your SSN unless there’s a good reason and you’re sure who you’re giving it to.
Research your tax preparer. Make sure your tax preparer is trustworthy before handing over your personal information.
If you are a victim of ID theft, consider getting an Identity Protection PIN, or IP PIN. This is a six-digit number, which, in addition to your Social Security number, confirms your identity. Once you apply, you must provide the IP PIN each year when you file your federal tax returns. Visit IRS.gov for more information.
For more information
For more information about tax scams, visit us on our website at www.bbb.org. If you or someone you know has been a victim of scams we want to know. File a Scamtracker report at www.bbb.org/scamtracker