Category: Identity Theft

Find out useful tips and information to prevent being a victim of identity theft.

kienitz irs scam

How Do You Know if the IRS Is Calling?

With your tax refund check excepted, no news is good news when it comes to the IRS. This means that for the most part, any communication received from the IRS is probably not a good sign. In fact, anytime you hear from the IRS, your heart will probably sink. That’s because you probably fear it’s the start of an audit, a request for back taxes or some sort of notice of an action against you.

Continue reading “How Do You Know if the IRS Is Calling?”
kienitz tax How to Prevent Tax Related Identity Theft

How to Prevent Tax-Related Identity Theft

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.

Continue reading “How to Prevent Tax-Related Identity Theft”
kienitz tax phishing scam

Phishing Scams and What to Do

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.

Continue reading “Phishing Scams and What to Do”
identity theft kienitz

Keep Your Tax Information Safe

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”

kienitz tax law identity theft

Identity Theft & Your Tax Information

The information required to prepare and file taxes is substantial. On an individual return, a full name, social security number, address and phone number are typically required. Then there are supporting documents that are either included with the return or are used to prepare the return. These include W-2 Forms, 1099 Forms and any other relevant documents, such as donation receipts. Continue reading “Identity Theft & Your Tax Information”