Every two seconds, someone’s identity is stolen. And with tax season upon us, con artists are stealing Social Security numbers to file for fraudulent tax refunds. It’s a big problem. To date, the IRS has identified around 15 million false tax returns alone. And you can also view targeted information and a special video devoted to tax identity theft awareness at www.aarp.org/scamalert.
To coincide with Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, the AARP Fraud Watch Network launches an education effort to help people protect themselves from tax scams, releasing a new video (see below), a tip sheet and encouraging people to take advantage of AARP’s free tax preparation services. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Montana tied with Kentucky at spot 40 in ID theft complaints.