There are two weeks left to file your taxes. As if the deadlines weren’t enough to consider, this is also prime scam season.
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Americans lost $9.1 billion to tax fraud and financial crimes last year.
Almost a quarter of Americans have been impacted by a tax scam at some point, according to a recent Mcafee survey. That’s why it’s important to protect yourself and your tax refund from scammers.
One of the first things to do is set up an identity protection pin with the IRS. You can get one through your IRS online account.
The pin is a unique six-digit number that verifies your identity when you file an electronic or paper return. Creating a pin will prevent someone else from filing a tax return with your personal information.
Also, make sure to ignore any urgent-looking text or email messages that claim to be from the government or a tax preparation service.
It is important to keep in mind that the IRS says it doesn’t initiate contact via text or email about tax payments or refunds. Remember to protect your personal data with strong, unique passwords for each account and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
Some easy ways to tell you’re being scammed is if you get a text message from a number that claims to be the IRS, especially if they demand money up-front. The IRS will not contact you by text or social media and ask for personal or financial information.
If the IRS needs to contact you, it will usually first send a letter in the mail through the United States Postal Service.
To verify the IRS sent the letter or notice, you can search for it on the IRS website.
The government agency reminds everyone that it will not take payments via social media platforms. It will not accept gift cards or prepaid debit cards as a form of payment, threaten to call law enforcement or immigration officials, take your citizen status, driver’s license, business license, or leave pre-recorded voicemails.
If you think you’ve been scammed, there are steps to take. If your social security number or individual tax identification number was stolen, immediately report it to the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission. You can make these reports on the IRS website.
The filing deadline for 2024 tax returns is April 15.