The Indiana Department of Revenue wants to warn Hoosiers to be careful when handling their personal and financial information during tax season.
According to DOR Commissioner, Adam Krupp, “our fraud prevention programs show continuous improvements with groundbreaking results, but our efforts are lost if individuals don’t protect their own information against fraudsters.”
Tax-related identity theft occurs when a fraudulent tax return is filed claiming a refund in the victim’s name. DOR claims that this kind of fraud is done using a stolen Social Security Number or an Individual Tax ID number.
If Hoosiers are unaware if they are a victim or not, they can look for certain clues
- Withdrawals from their bank account
- Unknown credit card changes
- Bills that do not belong to them
- If they have more than one tax return in their name.
The Indiana Department of Revenue has one of the best stolen identity refund fraud programs in the United States. With new scams popping up all of the time, it is important Hoosiers to keep their information safe.
DOR has a few tips to help keep sensitive data safe.
- Use security software with both virus and firewall protection
- Encrypt files with sensitive information
- Strong passwords
- Be cautious when providing personal information over the phone
- Never send personal information over email
- Do not click on links or attachments from unknown email sources.
- Do not carry your Social Security card
- Make sure your tax records are secure
