Category Archives: Identity Theft

Phishing and Scams

HOW TO IDENTIFY PHISHING AND SCAMS BEFORE THE DAMAGE IS DONE.

The scammers are out there still. In fact, you may receive an email today from someone claiming that your business information was entered incorrectly for 2014 and to avoid costly fines, penalties, etc., click here, open this, do that. STOP! DON’T DO IT.

THE IRS DOES NOT CONTACT YOU BY EMAIL – OR PHONE OR SOCIAL MEDIA. PERIOD.

The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. This includes requests for PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts. PERIOD.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a scam typically carried out through unsolicited email and/or websites that pose as legitimate sites and lure unsuspecting victims to provide personal and financial information.

Report all unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to phishing@irs.gov. Recent scams have used the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to attract potential victims. Also, if you’ve experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related incident, please report it to the Treasury Inspector General Administration (TIGTA) and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through their Complaint Assistant to make the information available to investigators.

What you need to do if you receive a suspicious IRS-related communication

Why the IRS Won’t Tell Fraud Victims What Identity Thieves Stole

The IRS, TurboTax and A Taxpayer’s Identity Theft

A taxpayers’s identity theft is a worst case scenario for any taxpayer, and especially when the IRS won’t tell fraud victims what identity thieves stole. Tim Loo learned early this year that his name and Social Security number had made their way onto a fraudulent tax return, and immediately wondered whether the identity thief might also have his bank-account details or his kids’ Social Security numbers.To survey the extent of the damage, Loo asked the Internal Revenue Service for a copy of the bogus return. It refused. TurboTax, whose tax-filing software the criminals had used, told him they couldn’t share the fake return with him either, for “privacy reasons.”

The Boston-based physician wondered: Whose privacy? Continue reading →

Franchise Tax Board Warns Public of Scams

10.22.2013

Sacramento – The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) today warned taxpayers of theft ploys involving scammers attempting to use FTB’s likeness for their personal gain.

“If you receive a questionable solicitation, contact FTB immediately and talk to a live agent to review your account,” said State Controller and FTB Chair John Chiang. “Taxpayers should protect their personal information and treat any unsolicited phone calls or emails with caution.”

Police have recently reported that scammers are contacting elderly people in Beverly Hills and informing them they received a red light traffic ticket last February that has been referred to FTB for collections. The scammer instructs the victim to load money on a prepaid debit card and send it to a bogus address. The scammer refers victims to an actual FTB phone number for reference.

Other scams claiming to represent FTB attempt to lure people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers. This type of scam is referred to as “phishing” and is a technique aimed at getting personal information for the purpose of identity theft. Scams of this nature often involve an email that masquerades as offering to check the status of your state income tax refund.

FTB takes the safety and security of taxpayer information very seriously. If anyone receives a questionable contact from FTB, they should keep the following in mind:

FTB can only process payments through its online Web Pay services or by mail through personal check, money order, cashier’s check, or Western Union Quick Collect payments. FTB does not have the ability to process funds from third-party issued debit cards or prepaid credit cards.
FTB warns taxpayers against providing personal information over the telephone or by email to those who cannot verify they are FTB employees.
While FTB calls people who owe taxes, FTB will never ask taxpayers for PIN numbers, passwords, or similar access information for credit cards, bank accounts, or other financial accounts.

Taxpayers who receive a questionable contact should call FTB at 800.852.5711.

FTB’s Information Privacy policy is available online at ftb.ca.gov.

For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit taxes.ca.gov.

Congressional and IRS Practices Impact Fraud

IRS WATCHDOG PROVIDES CONGRESS WITH MID-YEAR REPORT AMID ALLEGATIONS OF BAD IRS PRACTICES

Author’s Note: This post explains why we advocate that taxpayers select a professional tax practitioner who is either a CPA, attorney or Enrolled Agent. If you don’t, you may end up the victim of fraud and the problems attached to it.

CAUTION Exclamation Timing is everything, and the National Taxpayer Advocate Service (an independent *watchdog* group within the IRS ) just presented its mid-year report to Congress revisiting its 2002 Congressional recommendation to authorize the IRS to establish *minimum standards* for tax return preparers. Continue reading →

Tips for Taxpayers, Victims about Identity Theft and Tax Returns

Identity theft remains a top priority for the Internal Revenue Service in 2014

IRS YouTube Videos
ID Theft: IRS Efforts on Identity Theft

FS-2014-2, January 2014

Identity theft remains a top priority for the Internal Revenue Service in 2014. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes nationwide, and refund fraud caused by identity theft is one of the biggest challenges facing the IRS. This year, the IRS continues to take new steps and strong actions to protect taxpayers and help victims of identity theft and refund fraud.

CAUTION IDENTITY THEFT ALERT Stopping refund fraud related to identity theft is a top priority for the tax agency. The IRS is focused on preventing, detecting and resolving identity theft cases as soon as possible.

The IRS has more than 3,000 employees working on identity theft cases. We have trained more than 35,000 employees who work with taxpayers to recognize and provide assistance when identity theft occurs.

Taxpayers can encounter identity theft involving their tax returns in several ways. One instance is where identity thieves try filing fraudulent refund claims using another person’s identifying information, which has been stolen. Innocent taxpayers are victimized because their refunds are delayed.

Here are some tips to protect you from becoming a victim, and steps to take if you think someone may have filed a tax return using your name: Continue reading →

IRS Combats Identity Theft and Refund Fraud on Many Fronts

IDENTITY THEFT MAJOR CONCERN FOR IRS

Stopping identity theft and refund fraud is a top priority for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The agency’s work on identity theft and refund fraud continues to grow, touching nearly every part of the organization. For the 2014 filing season, the IRS has expanded these efforts to better protect taxpayers and help victims.

The IRS assigned more than 3,000 IRS employees to work on identity theft-related issues. IRS employees are working to prevent refund fraud, investigate identity theft-related crimes and help taxpayers who have been victimized by identity thieves. In addition, the IRS provides training to more than 35,000 employees who work with taxpayers to recognize identity theft indicators and help people victimized by identity theft.