If getting a tax refund as soon as possible isn’t enough motivation to file income taxes right away, here’s another motivator: Do it before someone else gets your check. The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office says all somebody needs is a few key pieces of information, including a Social Security Number, to file for a refund is someone else’s name. The victim usually is unaware of the ripoff until they file their own taxes and the IRS tells them that it’s already been done. The IRS recommends two-factor authentication for tax prep accounts. If personal information has been compromised, a six digit identity protection pin number can be acquired as an extra layer of security. It’s also important to know that the IRS does not ever call anybody on the phone to say they owe money on their taxes. Scam artists posing as IRS Agents sound very official and convincing, often including personal information about members of the household. The victim is told that payment is due immediately, and failure to pay could result in arrest. Many Americans have fallen for the scam, and hundreds of local residents have gotten the calls as well, but there’s no way of knowing how many have been swindled because scams very often go unreported because victims are embarrassed about being fooled. Tax identity theft should be reported immediately at identitytheft.gov.
-Steve Gibson