Identity theft is an issue year round, but it has a peak around tax season because the criminals do everything they can to use your information to defraud the IRS.
Back in 2011, it was reported that over Five Billion Dollars were stolen by ID thieves through the IRS. The problem has ballooned since then. I saw one report that put a 2300% increase on the problem between 2013 and 2014!
I think most of us know to keep our information safe by shredding documents and keeping our computers updated and protected.
Another preventative measure is to file your taxes as early as possible. If a fraudulent return is filed after your legitimate return, it will be rejected as a duplicate. The problem is, the fraudsters know this too, so it's a race.
- Protect your data
- Shred your documents
- Keep your computer updated
- Run a good anti-virus and keep it updated
- File your taxes as early as possible
Read more about how to protect your Tax Refund here: Avoid Tax ID Theft
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