Tax season is here and so are IRS imposter scams. These crimes are devastating and result in victims facing years of financial hardships.Take the time to educate youself on tax-related scams.
To help prevent tax identity theft follow these steps:
- Shred all documents that contain private information before disposing of them;
- Mail returns directly from the post office;
- File tax returns as early as possible. Procrastinating may cause a greater risk of tax identity theft;
- Notify the IRS ID Theft Protection Specialized Unit at 1(800) 908-4490 if you suspect tax identity theft. Also report any identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov;
- Watch out for IRS imposters. The IRS will not initially contact you by email, text message or social media. If the IRS needs information they will ask by mail; and
Get an IRS Identity Protection Pin at IRS.gov/getanIPPIN. Tax identity theft is the most common form of identity theft reported to the Federal Trade Commission but with proper preparation you can guard against these scams.