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Protecting yourself from tax return fraud

Tax-Fraud [1]According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that it mistakenly paid $5.2 billion in tax returns to identity thieves in 2013—and the IRS did not catch the scheme until well after the refund checks had been processed.

Earlier this year, ShindelRock counseled several clients who were victims of a fraudulent return filed with the State. We know this form of identity theft on the rise and it’s all too easy. A fraudster simply needs a computer, your Social Security number, and date of birth to file a fraudulent tax return.

While completely guarding against identity theft is difficult, there are actions you can take to help protect your personal information now and during tax season, including:

For more information on how you can protect yourself from tax return fraud, check out Identity Theft Tax Return Fraud: Everybody is at Risk [2] or visit the IRS website for Tips for Taxpayers, Victims about Identity Theft and Tax Returns [3].