Protect Yourself Against Tax-Related Identity Theft
Older adults are often targeted as part of scams and fraud. Tax season is unfortunately no different. Tax-related identity theft is when someone steals personal information to file a tax return claiming a refund that is not theirs.
You should always protect personal information, such as your social security. Here are a few important tips to remember during tax season.
The IRS does not initiate contact via email, text, or social media to request personal or financial information. To verify if a message is from the IRS, ask for the IRS employee's name, badge number, and callback number. Then, call 1-800-366-4484 to confirm that this person works for the IRS and is carrying out an authentic request.
If you file your taxes online, use multi-factor authentication as an added layer of security when logging into your account.
When discarding old tax documents, shred them so the information cannot be stolen.
If you suspect that you have been a victim of tax-related identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.gov to learn what steps you should take.
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