Most of us know by now that identity theft is a serious threat. In today’s age of electronic information, and electronic banking in particular, an identity thief can do an incredible amount of damage in a short period of time.
Most of us know by now that identity theft is a serious threat. In today’s age of electronic information, and electronic banking in particular, an identity thief can do an incredible amount of damage in a short period of time.
But while most people are aware of this threat, many people don’t realize that tax-related identity theft is a very common means of perpetrating this fraud. In fact, scammers regularly attempt to steal sensitive private information from taxpayers by impersonating the IRS. Because most taxpayers are terrified of the IRS (and for good reason!), this can be a very effective form of intimidation.
Below are several important tips published by IRS.gov in an attempt to educate taxpayers to the dangers of tax-related identity theft:
1) The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or social media tools to request personal or financial information. The IRS does not send emails stating you are being electronically audited or that you are getting a refund. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.
2) If you receive a scam email claiming to be from the IRS, forward it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
3) If you discover a website that claims to be the IRS but does not begin with 'www.irs.gov', forward that link to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
4) If your SSN is stolen, another individual may use it to get a job. That person's employer may report income earned by them to the IRS using your SSN, thus making it appear you did not report all of your income on your tax return. When this occurs, you should contact the IRS to show the income is not yours. After the IRS authenticates who you are, your tax record will be updated to reflect only your information. The IRS will use this information to minimize future occurrences.
5) 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.
Identity theft is a very serious threat. If you’ve ever been victimized, you know how unpleasant it can be. Use common sense in your dealings with the IRS, and if you feel that something isn’t right, talk to a professional before you proceed. You can always call the IRS to confirm that a letter or a notification you received is legitimately from the agency.
If you’ve got questions or comments, or if you’d like help resolving your dispute with the IRS, please call 844-841-9857 today!