2.Tax-related identity theft
Are you waiting for a big tax refund this year? If your answer is yes, then you should watch out for scammers who want to steal it from you. I don’t want to scare you, but this situation usually happens when someone who pretends to be an IRS official calls you to ask about your personal information, such as your address, birthdate, or Social Security number, so they can file an income tax return in your name. Can you believe that someone would have the ability to do that? You would be surprised at how many people are doing this for a living and want to take advantage of the elderly.
The easiest way to prevent this kind of fraud is to protect your Social Security number and other personal information by avoiding mentioning them completely during any phone call (it doesn’t matter if it’s a friend or even a relative), and make sure you use the IRS’s newest identity protection tool, popularly known as an IP PIN. To make it even more difficult for identity thieves, you can request this six-digit number directly from the IRS authorities.
Don’t forget that in case you realize that you have been a victim of fraud, notify the authorities immediately and fill out the “IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit,” as soon as possible!
