Protecting Yourself Against Tax Identity Theft With Identity Guard
Great article. Thanks for the info, you made it easy to understand. BTW, if anyone needs to fill out a…
How would you like to file your taxes to get that refund that you are planning to use to take a very well-needed vacation and the IRS tells you that you already files and received your refund?
What? You may think it would never happen to you, but tax-time identity theft is happening to many people every year. According to a report by a national taxpayer advocate, the IRS, tax identity theft caseload grew by 20 percent in 2011.
How Does Tax Identity Theft Happen?
It seems very simple. We prepare our taxes and send them off to the IRS, so how can someone else commit tax identity theft and file taxes in your name? Here is how identity theft happens.
1. Bogus IRS Calls. This will be either a live call or automated call and they will claim that you did something wrong or there is a mistake and they need your information to clear it up. Don’t fall for that. When I get calls like this, if I don’t hang up immediately, I will ask for the person’s name and tell them I will call the IRS office myself to verify.
2. Phony Refunds. This is similar to the first one where someone will call and tell you there is a problem with your refund and they need your bank information to clear it up.
3. Dishonest Tax Preparers. You give a tax preparer a lot of information so you need to be sure you trust your tax preparer.
4. Mail Theft. Your refund could be stolen right out of your mailbox.
5. Phishing. These would be emails about taxes and usually they ask you to click on a link.
Protect Yourself Against Tax Identity Theft
- Be suspicious of any calls and emails that you receive when they claim to be the IRS. The IRS will always send you a letter and give you the information to contact them. They won’t call you and ask for your bank information
- Never confirm your important information (social security number, bank information, etc.) by email or phone.
- Guard your mail, especially at tax time. Get the mail from your box as soon as possible or have it delivered to your door if possible.
- Keep your computer security software up-to-date.
- If you owe money to the IRS, pay it online.
- Do not use a public photocopying machine to copy your important tax documents.
- Shred any unnecessary documents once tax is over.
Identity Guard Will Help Protect Your Family
It’s important to protect your documents and personal information all the time, not just at tax-time. Identity Guard® can help you protect yourself against the thread of identity theft. With kID Sure℠, your child will be protected against ID theft also.
Be sure to follow Identity Guard on Facebook & Twitter.
Let’s Talk About Tax Identity Theft!
Have you or do you know anyone who was a victim of tax identity theft? What precautions do you take against tax identity theft?
Disclosure: As a kidSure Ambassador, this service was provided to me for review at no charge. In addition I received monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.
Related articles
Great article. Thanks for the info, you made it easy to understand. BTW, if anyone needs to fill out a form 14039, I found a blank form here http://goo.gl/M7Smry. This site PDFfiller also has some tutorials on how to fill it out and a few related forms that you might find useful.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that the IRS does not solicit financial information via social media either. Besides phone or fax to reach their victims to solicit personal information, scammers use other means as well, like stealing your wallet or purse and accessing information you provide to an unsecured Internet site.
Your identity may have been stolen if a letter from the IRS indicates more than one tax return was filed for you or the letter states you received wages from an employer you don’t know. If you receive such a letter from the IRS, leading you to believe your identity has been stolen, respond immediately to the name, address or phone number on the IRS notice. If you believe the notice is not from the IRS, contact the IRS to determine if the letter is a legitimate IRS notice.
If your tax records are not currently affected by identity theft, but you believe you may be at risk due to a lost wallet, questionable credit card activity, or credit report, you need to provide the IRS with proof of your identity. You should submit a copy of your valid government-issued identification, such as a Social Security card, driver’s license or passport, along with a copy of a police report and/or a completed IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, which should be faxed to the IRS at 1-978-684-4542.