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Privacy Tips for Tax Season
You may be resigned to giving the government your
money this tax season, but watch out for fraudsters looking for a piece
of the action. Your tax forms contain sensitive information, including
your Social Security Number, which can be the key piece of information
sought by identity thieves.
This tax season offers consumers a number of methods for completing their
returns. Taxpayers have a choice of filing by mail or electronically.
Consumers may use personal software, professional services, or old-fashioned
pen and paper. Either way you can bet there is a fraudster ready with
a scam. The following tips can help protect your privacy:
- More than 50% of people will file their returns
over the Internet, according to the IRS. Before using your computer
to transmit your return, make sure that your spyware and anti-virus
definitions are up to date. Then, check your computer for viruses
and spyware. Be sure that you have a firewall installed. The
Federal Trade Commission offers information and resources for keeping
your computer secure, available at: http://onguardonline.gov/index.html
- If you use a walk-in tax preparation service,
examine the facility carefully to see how well your privacy and personal
information will be protected. Can other people overhear your conversations?
Are computer monitors visible to prying eyes? How will your documents
be secured? Are discarded documents properly shredded?
- If filing by postal mail, send the mail
from a secure location, preferably before the last scheduled
pickup time. In other words, don't leave your mail in a collection box
overnight. (Thieves have actually been known to steal the entire box
by chaining it to a pickup truck, yanking it off its moorings, lifting
it into the truck bed, and speeding off into the night.).
- Never leave important outgoing mail in your mailbox
or at any other unsecured location for your letter carrier to pickup.
Anyone might come along and steal your mail along with your personal
information. See our Alert at www.privacyrights.org/ar/PostalW2.htm
- Pay attention to missing or lost W-2
or 1099 forms. These tax forms contain your Social Security
Number. If you are not using a locked mailbox or P.O. Box, a missing
form could be a warning that you are at risk of identity theft. If you
think that you might be a victim of identity theft, see our Fact Sheet
17a, Identity Theft: What to Do if It Happens to You, available at:
www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm
- If you use professional tax services, check out
the privacy policy and security practices first. If
the professional tax company maintains a web site that collects personally
identifiable information from California consumers, the law requires
the company to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its web site stating
what information is collected and with whom it is shared, and to comply
with such policy.
- When throwing out old records that are no longer
needed for tax filing (after the IRS record retention period expires),
be sure to shred anything containing personal info.
Home shredders can be purchased in many office supply stores. Use a
crosscut or confetti shredder. Strip cut shredders should be avoided,
as the strips can easily be pieced together (think of it as a very simple
jigsaw puzzle).
Not only should you be smart about how you file
your return, you should also be aware of refund scams and other phishing
scams. The IRS has warned consumers about fraudulent emails requesting
personal information to process refunds. The IRS cautions taxpayers that
it does not send unsolicited email asking for personal information. For
more on this scam see the PRC alert available at:
www.privacyrights.org/newsletter/051218.htm#3
For more information on avoiding Tax scams, see the IRS listing of its
2007 “Dirty Dozen” scams available at:
www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=167983,00.html
The IRS also offers specific tips for identity theft victims available
at:
www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=136324,00.html
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