Tax identity theft awareness week January 26 - 30

[January 26, 2015]  This week is the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. The FTC has a lot of great resources, articles, and tips on their website at www.ftc.gov/taxidtheft.

In a tax identity theft scheme, a scammer files a fraudulent tax return using another person's social security number and receives the refund electronically. This means that you may not realize you have been the target of this scam until you try to file your own tax return and the IRS says that a return has already been filed in your name.

This year, the FTC is also focusing on the continuing IRS impostor scam. In this scam, the scammer calls you pretending to represent the IRS and claiming that you owe taxes. The scammer often demands immediate payment or threatens that the police will arrest you if you do not pay.

The Illinois SMP continues to hear stories about this scam. Recently, a consumer told us that an IRS impostor even gave an IRS badge number to make their claims seem more true. However, the IRS does not call you without first sending a bill, and if you do owe taxes, you have a right to request a copy of the bill and discuss payment options.

Because this is currently such a big scam, you should never engage with someone who calls you saying they are from the IRS. Hang up and call the IRS directly at [phone] to see if you owe taxes. Read more about this scam in the IRS' article "Five Easy Ways to Spot a Scam Phone Call."

The FTC is also hosting a webinar on tax identity theft and the IRS impostor scam on Tuesday, January 27 from 1:00-2:30 pm Central Time. Visit www.ftc.gov/taxidtheft for more information on how to join this webinar.

[Federal Trade Commission]