|
ID thieves targeting tax refunds
Feb 22, 2013 (The Lebanon Reporter - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Indiana consumers filing their taxes this year should take precautions to protect themselves from identity thieves who can steal their information and file a tax return in their name.
Last year, the Indiana Attorney General's Office received nearly 70 complaints regarding tax-refund fraud. In most cases, thieves used a legitimate taxpayer's personal information to file a tax return and the victim was unaware until they were notified by the IRS.
In a press release, Attorney General Greg Zoeller said there are steps consumers can take to help protect themselves by visiting www.indianaconsumer.com.
The site includes a link to an identity theft prevention toolkit, with information on preventing and recovering from identity theft.
If you receive an unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information, do not respond. The IRS does not use email or any other social media to request personal or financial information.
In October, the I RS issued a warning about a tax scam using a website that was almost identical to the agency's e-Services for tax preparers. That site is not for the general public, the I RS said in on its "problem alerts" site.
Other scams have solicited donations to fake charities, claims offering a college tuition credit and
The I RS asks that unsolicited email or suspicious websites be reported to phishing@irs.gov.
Do not reply to unsolicited emails, open any attachments, or click on any l i nks; attachments and links c an launch malicious software that or open any attachments in, an unsolicited email.
Persons who believe their identity has been stolen and is being used for tax purposes should contact the I RS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at www.IRS.gov/ identitytheft or call 1-800-9084490.
___ (c)2013 The Lebanon Reporter (Lebanon, Ind.) Visit The Lebanon Reporter
(Lebanon, Ind.) at www.reporter.net Distributed by MCT Information Services
[ InfoTech Spotlight's Homepage ]
|