In recent years, the number of complaints related to IRSfraud, scamming, and other types of tax fraud have gone up greatly. Anyone can
suddenly find himself the victim of a tax-related crime. With that said, though,
there are steps that you can take to greatly reduce the chances of being a tax
crime victim and to keep your tax data as safe as possible.
Be Careful in
Communication
One thing that you should be aware of is that many tax
crimes take place over the internet and/or on the phone. Therefore, you should
never give out any sensitive, tax-related information via these forms of
communication.
One of the most common scams is for the fraudster to email
or phone you, claim you owe money and that action will be taken against you if
you do not pay up right then. Another popular scam is an email or phone call
from the IRS asking you to update your tax information
Remember, the IRS does not typically contact people via
email, and, if you are contacted by phone, proof of whom you are speaking to
will be provided if you are actually speaking with an IRS representative.
Furthermore, IRS representatives will not ask you for sensitive information
via telephone.
It is in your best interest, always, to not share information,
such as social security numbers or bank account numbers, over phone or email,
regardless of who the speaker or sender claims to be.
Keep Your Computer
(And Other Devices) Secure
Another important thing to be aware of is the fact that you
likely have a lot of should-be secure information on your computer, tablet, and
other devices.
To help keep this information safe should your computer fall
into the wrong hands or be looked at by the wrong eyes, password protect any
private information stored on your computer. You may also want to encrypt files
that contain personal information.
It is also a good idea to avoid storing sensitive passwords,
such as the password to your online banking account, in your browser’s
“cookies.”
Create Secure
Passwords
One final thing that can really be helpful toward improving
information security is to be careful when it comes to your online passwords
for all accounts.
If someone can get into your email, for example, that person
may be able to access other info, such as your credit card information or your
social security number, that would enable him to commit a tax crime against
you.