Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
(INDIANAPOLIS) - It’s the tax filing season, and many people will again fall victim to identity thieves who can steal personal information and file a tax return in their name.
Attorney General Greg Zoeller says in most cases, thieves file a return using the taxpayers name and social security number and the funds are then electronically transferred into an account-- leaving the taxpayer unaware until they try to file.
Zoeller says, "last year alone, we had over 70 complaints-the IRS has hundreds and hundreds from Indiana, so this is becoming popular and we see it increase each year."
In most cases, thieves used a legitimate taxpayer's personal information to file a tax return and the victim was unaware until they were notified by the IRS.
The best advice to keeping a tax return in your pocket- file early to avoid being a victim.
To report tax-refund fraud call the Internal Revenue Service's Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1.800.908.4490.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.