The IRS is raising the alarm about identity theft-related scams this tax season.
"If they have enough information, all they need to do is go into a system and act like they're you," said Rodrick Benton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office.was sentenced for stealing more than $700,000 by using stolen information to obtain fraudulent tax refunds.for a similar crime. They allegedly claimed over $100 million in false tax refunds.
Benton says there are two main ways your information can be compromised, fraudulent tax preparers and malware."Obtained naturally, through the course of business, they get personal identification information, Social Security numbers, DL addresses, and they may sell a list to buyers - fraudsters and individuals whose sole purpose is to steal your identities and use your identities to obtain illicit funds," said Benton.
While this scheme can affect anyone, sometimes fraudsters target wealthier individuals who are paying estimated tax withholdings throughout the year. "They can see this in the system, and they will file a return…they’ll say, ‘I didn't make as much money as I thought I would, I paid a quarter of a million dollars in withholdings, but I only made a quarter of a million dollars, therefore, I'm due a refund because I paid in all this money during the year,'" said Benton. "So that is a scheme that we see a lot now."
To prevent identity theft fraud this tax season, keep private information secure and research tax preparers ahead of time.
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