In this ever-changing electronic age, it’s never been easier to conduct business and take care of finances through a computer or smartphone. But this convenience comes at a cost. It’s also never been easier to steal someone’s identity and use that fake identity to engage in crime. The good news is that most cases of tax-related identity theft can be prevented by following a few simple rules.

Scams aren’t new, having been around for a long time, with some well-known ones occurring back in the 1800s. But phishing scams are a bit more recent, because they’re based on the use of electronic communication. Because one of the best ways to defeat a confidence scheme (such as phishing), is to be able to recognize it, fraudsters are constantly thinking up new scams to confuse and trick potential victims. But before we go over a new scam, let’s discuss what phishing is.

According to the IRS, individuals filed more than 150 million tax returns during the 2016 tax year. That equates to the IRS collecting a lot of money and having access to even more personal information. It should then come as no surprise that identity thieves focus on stealing tax information from individuals. Here are a few things the average taxpayer can do to reduce his or her chances of having their tax information stolen. Continue reading “Keep Your Tax Information Safe” →