Don’t Let Fraudsters Have Your Refund
With security breaches happening every day at major retailers, identity theft and fraud is likely on your mind, and stolen credit isn’t your only risk.
In an increasingly common scam, identity thieves use victims’ personal information to file fraudulent tax returns electronically and claim bogus refunds. When the real taxpayers file their returns, they’re notified that they’re attempting to file duplicate returns. It can take months to straighten things out, causing all sorts of headaches and delaying legitimate refunds.
You can reduce your chance of becoming a victim by filing your return as soon as possible after you receive your W-2 and 1099s. If you file first, it will be the thief who’s filing the duplicate return, not you.
Check your bank information and credit card accounts frequently and consider signing up for credit monitoring to keep yourself from becoming a victim.
If you’d like to file your tax return early this year, call Jim Komos at 216-831-7171 or email him at jkomos@cp-advisors.com. We’d be happy to help. Let us know if you have questions about protecting yourself from tax return fraud and identity theft. We have a Certified Fraud Examiner on staff to assist with any fraud questions you may have.
You may also be interested in: