Member Alert: Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week!

As part of National Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network and AARP Foundation Tax-Aideare joining forces with federal agencies to highlight the dangers of tax identity theft and recovery steps for victims.

What is Tax identity theft?

Tax identity theft occurs when someone steals a person’s personal information in order to file a fraudulent tax return or earn wages. This type of identity theft can involve:

• Filing a tax return using another person’s social security number
• Claiming someone else’s children as dependents
• Claiming a tax refund using a deceased person’s taxpayer information

What are the warning signs?

• Your social security number is lost, stolen or compromised
• Your tax return is delayed
• You receive a notice from the IRS stating it has received a duplicate tax return filing, you have unreported income, or you and somebody else are claiming the same dependents

How can you avoid becoming a victim of tax identity theft?

• Submit your tax return as early as in the tax season as possible
• Be careful what you share – never give out your personal information unless you know who is asking and why
• Dispose of sensitive information safely (shred it with a micro-cut shredder)
• Know your tax preparer

If you think you have been the victim of tax identity fraud, call the IRS identity theft line at 800.908.4490.

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