As tax time draws to a close, we want to make sure that people remain mindful that there are tax scammers out there looking for your valuable information. These crooks want to get your private documents so they can steal your money and leave you deep in debt. But don’t think that you have to just wait to be victimized; you can fight against becoming a victim of identity and financial theft.
We’ll give you some valuable ammunition to utilize towards protecting yourself. To keep your information safe and secure (or recover from theft) try these tips:
1. Don’t fall prey to fake emails from the IRS. These are the same con-artists who send you bogus emails from friends and family; they are able to make the email look nice and official, but the IRS definitely does not send random emails asking you to respond with personal information.
2. Watch out for fake government websites. The cons who are bold enough to send fake emails from the “IRS” are just as bold about creating fake websites. You have to keep an eye open for phony URLs; the IRS will be a .gov site, but these fakes will use a variety of substitutes.
3. If you’re expecting your refund soon, stay vigilant in watching your mailbox. Make sure nobody beats you to your box, and get a lockable mailbox if at all possible.
4. Properly dispose of your paper hard copies. If you did a work-up on a paper IRS document so you’d know what to do when you filed online or if you kept a copy of your mailed return, be sure to store it in a safe or shred it completely.
5. If you think you’ve already been victimized, don’t delay in getting in front of the situation. The longer you wait, the more extensive the damage could get. File the necessary documents letting the government and credit reporting agencies know that you’ve been scammed.
