File Your Taxes Before Scammers Do It For You
Summary: Krebs on Security marks the January 29, 2018 start of tax-filing season as the point when fraudsters begin filing phony refund claims in the names of identity theft victims, a crime that affects hundreds of thousands if not millions of U.S. citizens annually. Victims typically learn of it when their own returns are rejected because scammers filed first, and the IRS says complaints have declined as it and the states add stricter screening.
Bottom line: The IRS issues special filing PINs only to taxpayers it believes were likely refund-fraud victims the prior year, so until you are hit there is no PIN protecting your return - and a fraudulent filing can be paid out in 2-4 weeks before any audit.
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
- Topics
- Fraud & Scams
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