ID thieves take aim at tax refunds
Identity thieves have found a lucrative new target: tax refunds. According to the IRS, the bad guys get your Social Security number and use that to file a false return in your name.
Their goal is to divert that refund into their bank account before it can get to yours.
David Tucker with the IRS office in Seattle says there are warning signs that someone has stolen your identity and is using it for tax purposes.
"If they get a notice from the IRS that informs them that more than one return was filed in their tax payer name or that they tax payer received wages from an unknown employer, those are tip-offs that they may have been victimized."
Just last month, the IRS conducted a massive, nationwide crackdown on suspected identity thieves. They arrested more than 100 people in 23 states.
This problem is so serious the IRS now has a special Identity Protection Unit. If you believe your personal information has been stolen and used for tax purposes, contact them right away.
For more information
Indications your identity may have been stolen and how to report it to the IRS
Don't Fall Prey to the 2011 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams
Their goal is to divert that refund into their bank account before it can get to yours.
David Tucker with the IRS office in Seattle says there are warning signs that someone has stolen your identity and is using it for tax purposes.
"If they get a notice from the IRS that informs them that more than one return was filed in their tax payer name or that they tax payer received wages from an unknown employer, those are tip-offs that they may have been victimized."
Just last month, the IRS conducted a massive, nationwide crackdown on suspected identity thieves. They arrested more than 100 people in 23 states.
This problem is so serious the IRS now has a special Identity Protection Unit. If you believe your personal information has been stolen and used for tax purposes, contact them right away.
For more information
Indications your identity may have been stolen and how to report it to the IRS
Don't Fall Prey to the 2011 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams
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