Monday marks the start of the Federal Trade Commission’s Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. In recognition of that fact, the State Attorney General’s office, Department of Revenue, and the Better Business Bureau are urging consumers to be on alert for tax-related scam as the tax season approaches.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says the best way to avoid tax identity theft is to file taxes as early as possible before a scammer has a chance to use Social Security numbers to file fraudulent returns. For added security, Georgia residents can now get an Identity Protection PIN or IP PIN, from the IRS before they file their returns.
One important note, once you sign up for a PIN, you cannot opt out, you must use it along with your Social Security number every time you file your federal tax returns. You will receive a new PIN every year in December.
For more information, visit www.irs.gov/individuals/get-an-identity-protection-pin.
If you are the victim of tax identity theft, contact the IRS at 1-800-908-4490. You should also file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc.gov/complaint or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.