“Identity theft wreaks havoc on our tax system in many ways. The impact on victims is significant. More than 75 percent of taxpayers filing returns are due refunds, which average some $3,000 and are not paid until the IRS fully resolves a case. That now takes more than 6 months.” – Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate
National Taxpayer Advocate Annual Report to Congress
Do You Put Your Birth Date on Facebook?
There are three pieces of Private Identifying Information thieves want:
Your Name
Do you have a nick name? Use it on social media rather than your legal name.
Your Birthday
If you don’t need to give your actual birth date, but they site needs one. Then give a fake date.
Your Social Security Number
Ask why do you need my Social Security Number? Most companies who ask for it don’t need it. Your doctor doesn’t need it.
Don’t give it, if you don’t need to.
Burglars want to know:
Where do you live
Turn-off location tagging on your photos.
When are you not home
Wait until you are home to post pictures of your vaction.
What do you own
Don’t post about your new TV, iPad or diamond ring.
Better Business Bureau: Burglary in the 21st century
BY TRISHA SEFAKIS: MANAGER, DIGITAL MEDIA – JANUARY 31, 2013
“According to my dad, back in the day burglars would use newspapers to find their next victims. They would scour the paper for weddings, funerals, family reunions, things that would take people out of their homes. With this information they would know when homes would be unoccupied and plan their crimes accordingly. Just imagine what social media has done to the business of “burglary”. Today you have Foursquare, Facebook check-in, Tripit and many other outlets that broadcast to the world your whereabouts, and subsequently when your home will be unoccupied.”
“People are not going to stop using these social applications, but there are ways they can use them safer. Here are a few tips. Check your privacy settings on Facebook to ensure only friends are seeing your activity. Only add actual friends to your social networks. Refrain from making announcements on social sites regarding extended trips. Don’t post pictures that reveal the address or location of your home. Don’t post pictures of expensive items in your home! Keep in mind the next time you post from your iPad that you can wait to leave for Cancun in the morning for 7 whole days! You just let the burglar know you would be gone, for how long, and that you have an iPad!”
There is only one way to make sure you are not a victim of Tax Identity Fraud. You need to file your tax return before the Tax Thief files a return using your Social Security number! The first return wins.
If the thief is first, your return will not process. If you are first, the fraudulent return will not process. It’s as simple as “The First Return Wins“.
Do not delay. If you owe money, you can file today and mail the check on April 15th. Just do it!
If you need Tax Filing Software you can get it at Amazon by Clicking Here: Amazon Software
Over 5 Billion Dollars lost to Identity Thieves filing false 2011 Returns
There is a filing gap that thieves take advantage of to steal our tax dollars. Tax returns can be filed as early as January 15th, but businesses and institutions do not report to the IRS until March 31. Thus, the IRS does not know there is a problem until it is too late.
IRS also has systems problems. They do not seem to have the proper red flags in place to detect even obvious fraud. There were 21,000 returns filed to one address in Michigan which should have triggered an alert.
Nearly all of the false returns were filed electronically. The IRS needs to expand their Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) program to ALL tax returns filed electronically.
Indications your identity may have been stolen and how to report it to the IRS.
Your identity may have been stolen if you receive a letter from the IRS stating that …
… you filed more than one tax return.
… you have a balance due, refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file.
and / or
… you received wages from an employer you have not worked for.
If you receive such a letter from the IRS and you suspect your identity has been stolen, respond immediately to the name, address, phone number or fax listed on the IRS letter or contact the IRS to determine if the letter is a legitimate IRS letter.
If you become the victim of identity theft outside of the tax system or believe you may be at risk due to a lost/stolen purse or wallet, questionable credit card activity or credit report, etc., you are encouraged to contact the IRS at the Identity Protection Specialized Unit, toll-free at 800-908-4490 so we can take steps to further secure your account.
The IPSU hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. your local time (Alaska & Hawaii follow Pacific Time).
You will need to fill out the IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, Form 14039. Please be sure to write legibly and follow the instructions on the back of the form.
For Tax Filing Software at Amazon Click Here: Amazon Software
Prepaid Cards can Protect you from Credit Card Fraud
You go out to eat at a local restaurant and pay with your Debit Card. The waiter copies the Debit Card information and buys a new 42″ HD TV. You are now a victim of Bank Card fraud (not Identity Theft). $513.44 disappears from your checking account. Your rent, power and cell checks bounce. The bank charges you NSF fees of $105 that causes more payments to bounces. Now you have to proof you did not purchase the TV. You have to beg the bank to refund the $513.44, plus the NFS fees.
Ok, let’s say you used a Credit Card rather than a Debit Card. The waiter steals the Credit Card information and buys the TV. Now you call the Credit Card company and tell them the charge is not yours. They remove the charge. No extra fees, but you do need to get a new card. Plus you need to update all those auto payments.
It is easier to say you will not pay a fraudulent charge than it is to beg for the return of your money.
Another option is to pay with cash. The forth option is a Prepaid Card. You load an amount on the card. If the card information is stolen, then you are only out the money you loaded on the card. There are fees for using Prepard Cards, so you need shop around.
Tip: Do not use Debit Cards.
Identity theft happens. It’s an unfortunate fact of modern life. But there are certain steps you can take to help keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
Every day, you do things to protect what’s most important to you. And you know what? You do them almost automatically. Routine things like looking both ways before you cross, brushing your teeth, and buckling your seat belt.
Another routine to get into is keeping tabs on your identity and personal information. Here are five easy ways you can do it.
Read your credit card and bank statements carefully and often.
Know your payment due dates.
If a bill doesn’t show up when you expect it, look into it.
Read the statements from your health insurance plan.
Make sure the claims paid match the care you got.
Shred any documents with personal and financial information.
Review each of your three credit reports at least once a year. It’s easy, and it’s free.
And before you know it, protecting your personal information can be as routine as locking your doors at night.
For more tips and tools on dealing with identity theft, visit ftc.gov/idtheft. That’s ftc.gov/idtheft.
Guest post from the Better Business Bureau
A scam that promises unlimited Sudoku puzzles is extra tempting this time of year. You have hours to kill sitting through a slow day at work, waiting at the airport or hanging out at a relative’s house. It’s a great time to waste time.
How the Scam Works:
You receive a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that promises to automatically generate Sudoku puzzles. However, when you open the file and try to create a new puzzle, you get a message that you need to “enable macros” by disabling the software’s security setting.
If you do so, you will allow the malware to run on your computer. It will scan your system and send an email with details about your machine, according to computer security blog Naked Security.
What are Macros?
If you perform a task repeatedly in Microsoft Excel (or another Microsoft Office program), you can speed up your work by automating the task with a macro, a series of commands. However, macros are also a common way for scammers to sneak malware onto your computer.
Back in the 1990s, scammers frequently used this trick until Microsoft set all its software to automatically block macros. This adjustment forced scammers to abandon this technique and find new ways of fooling users. With this new malware, scammers hope that today’s Excel users have forgotten all about macros.
My File is Asking me to Enable Macros. Is This a Scam?
It can be hard to know when to allow macros in your Microsoft files. Follow these tips to ensure you don’t accidentally allow a virus to run on your computer.
For More Information
Learn more about macros on Microsoft’s support website.
To find out more about scams, check out the new BBB Scam Stopper.
