Don’t Let Them Steal Your Refund Check!
Tax-related Identity Theft IS NO JOKE. I have been a victim of tax fraud/identity theft for the last two years. YES, someone used my social security number to get a tax refund, not once but TWICE! How could this happen? I scolded the IRS representative earlier this year on the phone. “What are you all doing down there at IRS or not doing!? Why did’nt yall catch them!?” I was frustrated.
I had my mind set on exactly what I would spend my Tax Refund check on, but oh no that isn’t the way it happened. If someone uses your SSN to file for a tax refund before you do, the IRS might think you already filed and got your refund. When you file your return later, IRS records will show the first filing and refund, and you’ll get a notice or letter from the IRS saying more than one return was filed for you. Believe me when I say YOU DO NOT want to go through this. In my personal experience, I had to wait SIX WHOLE MONTHS or 180 days before I even heard word back that my report had been processed.
Here are a few tips to prevent Tax Identity Theft, courtesy of ABC news:
Don’t respond to emails with IRS in the “from” field. There’s a current scam in which fraudsters pose as the Internal Revenue Service and email people, claiming your electronic tax return did not go through. They ask you to refile it and direct you to a fraudulent site where they harvest your personal financial information. Know this: The IRS will never communicate with you through email. Any email claiming to be from the IRS is a scam.
Check out your tax preparer. One way identity thieves tap into your tax information is by providing fake tax preparation services. These services may be advertised on Internet listing services or telephone poles, and the hook is that they are free. Don’t fall for it. The IRS suggests taking these steps to make sure a tax preparer is legitimate and qualified:
— Avoid preparers who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers.
— Most reputable preparers will ask to see your receipts.
— Check the preparer’s reputation with the Better Business Bureau, the state’s board of accountancy for CPAs, the state’s bar association for attorneys or the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility for enrolled agents.
–Secure your return. Whether you hire a professional or do your taxes yourself, it is one of the few times that all of your sensitive financial information is in one place where a thief can swipe it. — So, if preparing and filing your taxes on a computer, make sure you have a secure internet connection with complex passwords, up-to-date antivirus/anti spyware software that automatically updates and a good firewall between your computer and the Internet. — If you are hiring a preparer to do your taxes, ask the preparer what systems he or she has in place to keep your physical paperwork and your electronic data safe. –Rather than mailing your return from a blue postal box or putting it in your own mailbox as outgoing mail, walk it into a post office and hand deliver it to a postal clerk. Send it certified while you’re at it.
If you think someone used your SSN for a tax refund or a job — or the IRS sends you a notice or letter indicating a problem — contact the IRS immediately. Specialists will work with you to get your tax return filed, get you any refund you are due, and protect your IRS account from identity thieves in the future. IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit 1-800-908-4490.
