Ohioans puzzled by quiz to get state-income tax refund

The Ohio Department of Taxation forms and information on fighting Identity Theft & Income Tax Fraud forms are displayed, Friday, Feb. 13, 2015, in Cleveland. A new state quiz aimed at thwarting potential income tax fraud has left some Ohio taxpayers puzzled. The additional screening measures prompted 40,000 phone calls to the state’s tax department one recent morning, with many filers concerned about being duped by identity thieves, state officials said. Some residents have even alerted legislators, police and other local law enforcement officials. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan) The Ohio Department of Taxation forms and information on fighting Identity Theft & Income Tax Fraud forms are displayed, Friday, Feb. 13, 2015, in Cleveland. A new state quiz aimed at thwarting potential income tax fraud has left some Ohio taxpayers puzzled. The additional screening measures prompted 40,000 phone calls to the state’s tax department one recent morning, with many filers concerned about being duped by identity thieves, state officials said. Some residents have even alerted legislators, police and other local law enforcement officials. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

By Associated Press February 13, 2015 1 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A new quiz by the state of Ohio to catch phony tax returns is puzzling some taxpayers.

People who have filed their taxes are being asked all sorts of questions online and over the phone, such as: How old is your grandchild? What brand of car do you have? How long is your mortgage?

The four multiple-choice questions are part of an effort to ensure that a tax return submitted in someone’s name is genuine and not an attempt by a scam artist to collect a refund check.

But some taxpayers are afraid the questions themselves are part of some kind of scam.

The state tax department got 40,000 calls about the quiz one recent morning, and some taxpayers have even alerted legislators and police.