Q. I recently became a victim of personal identity theft. Should we be concerned about IRS tax fraud?
A. The United States’ tax season is here, and so are the scammers. Con artists are using the Social Security numbers of unsuspecting Americans to file phony tax returns and steal their refunds. This week in partnership and honor of the Federal Trade Commission’s, www.consumer.ftc.gov, Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, is warning consumers to be on the lookout for this and other tax season scams.
How the Scam Works
You file your taxes as normal and expect a refund from the IRS. Instead, you get a written IRS notice saying that more than one tax return was filed using your Social Security number.
What happened? Scammers got your personal information, such as your Social Security number, address, and birth date. They filed your return early and received your refund before you even got around to filing. Tax ID theft is a particularly sneaky con because victims typically don’t realize they’ve been targeted until they try to file their taxes.