Tax season identity theft

Are You a victim of tax identity theft? How to protect yourself against tax identity theft? The February webinar focuses on identity theft , its impact on victims, tax identity theft , and recovering from identity theft.

The second webinar, on February focuses on IRS imposters and other government imposter scams. Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your Social Security number (SSN) to file a fraudulent tax return and claim your refund. Today is the start of Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, and we’ve got lots of easy ways to learn how to recognize scams and help protect yourself from fraud.

All this week, the FTC and its partners will host free events to share information about recognizing, avoiding and recovering from the scams and scammers that we see most often during tax season. Tax ID theft is committed by perpetrators who collect social security numbers and file fraudulent returns with the IRS or state governments, collecting large refunds that belong to other individuals. Reportedly, most tax-related identity theft happens when personal data is stolen and used to file a false tax return and collect the refund.

IRS through fraudulent tax returns. Although protecting yourself will not deter ID theft completely, hiring a leader in ID theft protection , LifeLock, will help in the unfortunate case you become a victim. Worse yet, it reportedly can take months, and in some cases years, to remedy tax-related identity theft and square accounts with the IRS.

Your taxes can be affected if your Social Security number is used to file a fraudulent return or to claim a refund or credit. Contact one of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion— to place a fraud alert on your credit records.

Below are our tips for staying diligent and resources to share with your employees and friends. Reportedly, most tax -related identity theft happens when personal data is stolen and used to file a false tax return and collect the refund. So many people are pulling out their financial documents to fill out their taxes. However, since so much information is being put out there, it is essential that individuals take care to ensure that their identities don’t get stolen.

Founded by the Federal Trade Commission, Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week sets aside days to encourage and educate taxpayers to protect their tax and personal identification information. Simply put, tax-related identity theft (or tax refund identity theft) is when someone uses a stolen Social Security number to file a tax return. Even if you actually owe taxes, the fraudsters don’t care.

Information for Individuals. Learn about the warning signs and what you can do to safeguard your. Here are some of the new and old tax scams you should watch for this tax season.

Income- tax identity theft How it works: Income- tax identity theft occurs when an identity thief electronically files an income tax return using your Social Security number and a counterfeit W-in an attempt to get an often-inflated income tax refund. If you receive a tax transcript and you didn’t request it, be aware that it may be identity theft. You receive a pre-paid debit card in the mail that you didn’t request. Thieves will sometimes use your name and address to create an account for a reloadable prepaid debit card that they use for various schemes, including tax-related identity theft.

What is tax identity theft ? It happens when someone uses your Social Security number (SSN) to file a phony tax return and collect your refund. Identity theft can pose a major threat to your financial wellbeing. In a digital worl a face-to-face meeting is important when making crucial decisions about your financial future.

Access IRS Tax Forms. Complete, Edit or Print Tax Forms Instantly.