Optima Tax Relief provides assistance to individuals struggling with unmanageable IRS tax burdens. To assess your tax situation and determine if you qualify for tax relief, contact us for a free consultation.
- Tax Season leaves many taxpayers vulnerable to identity theft and scammers.
- Scammers can pose as tax preparers and steal your personal information.
- Protect your social security and bank information to ensure it does not end up in the wrong hands.
- Ask your tax preparer how you can avoid your personal information getting leaked if there is a data breach.
Most people don’t realize how vulnerable they are to fraud during tax season. The scary truth is that during this time of year, many identities are stolen and fraudulent tax returns are unwittingly filed on behalf of a taxpayer. In order to protect yourself, it is vital to exercise caution and provide only the documents and information that are absolutely necessary. Below are a few scams to be aware of during tax time to help avoid becoming a fraudster’s next victim.
Phone and Email Scams
The most obvious way to protect yourself against scammers is to never give out your personal information to someone you don’t know, especially over the phone. If someone from the “IRS” is attempting to contact you over the phone or by email and asks for your social security or card information, don’t give it to them. The IRS almost never contacts via phone, instead preferring to send notices via mail. Even if you do receive a call from the IRS, they won’t ask for your social security number – they already have that information. If you feel uncomfortable about the validity of a call, hang up and call the IRS yourself – that way you know if what they’re telling you is true.
Accountant fraud
Be wary of scammers who will pose as a tax preparer and then rip off customers through refund fraud or identity theft. These phony accountants will tell you that they can get you a large tax refund and typically prey on low-income and non-English speaking taxpayers.
Even if you go to a legitimate tax preparer, your information can still be exposed if there is a data breach. To avoid this happening – and being left vulnerable – ask your tax preparer what more you can do to protect your information in case of a breach.
Identity theft
Make sure to protect your social security number at all costs. Identity thieves will attempt to steal this information in order to steal not only your identity but your tax refund too. As long as you notify the IRS that your information has been compromised and your refund has been stolen, the IRS will work with you to provide your refund. However, it will take extensive time and paperwork to prove that your information was stolen.
Medical Identity Theft
Financial fraud such as a stolen credit card can be frustrating but can be quickly resolved since it’s easier to detect, and often doesn’t have significant long-term financial impacts. Medical identity fraud, on the other hand, can cost a victim $13,500 on average and be notoriously difficult to resolve. Because of advancements in electronic communication and collaboration in the healthcare industry, personal health information (PHI) is more exposed and accessible. At the same time, this doesn’t always mean that your health provider is on the same page with your insurer. PHI is rarely tracked across multiple networks and this gap can make stealing and using it feasible.
In conclusion…
Tax Season is now upon us, and it’s important to protect your personal information and ensure that it can’t be compromised. Always be wary of phone calls or emails that you receive claiming to be from the IRS, especially when they’re asking for your bank information or social security number. Also, do your research when looking for a tax preparer to file your taxes for you, and make sure they have their license, as well as positive reviews from previous clients. Lastly, make sure to monitor your social security number to ensure that your data has not been breached and your identity hasn’t been stolen.
If you need tax help, contact us for a free consultation.