In 2012, the Internal Revenue Service identified more than 1.8 million incidents of identity theft, and the numbers for 2013 are expected to be even higher as the IRS increased investigations of tax-related identity theft by 66%. The most common situation that occurs during tax season is that a thief will use a stolen Social Security Number of Tax Identification Number to file a fake tax return and then subsequently claim a refund on that return. Your Social Security Number is the most important piece of your personal information, and should be protected.
Identity thieves can steal your Social Security Number by stealing your wallet or purse, going through your mail, hacking into your accounts on websites, rummaging through your trash, and conducting scams, such as impersonating legitimate businesses to retrieve personal information from you. To avoid the theft of your Social Security Number or Tax Identification number, store all personal information in a locked safe in your home, shred all mail and correspondence that has your personal information on it rather than throwing it away, and do not ever give out personal information over the phone unless you are the one contacting the company. If you believe that someone has stolen your identity, contact the Internal Revenue Service through this link. If you have any questions about keeping your Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number secure, please contact us!
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