Pinellas Warns Taxpayers to Protect Themselves from Identity Theft
Pinellas County consumer protection investigators will be at the Dunedin Library Monday (Jan. 25) to answer questions about tax identity theft and other consumer-related topics.
PINELLAS COUNTY – Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week starts Monday (Jan. 25) and ends Friday (Jan. 29).
This week is dedicated to educating people on ways to protect themselves from tax-related crimes. Tax identity theft occurs when an individual uses stolen personal information, such as a Social Security number, to file a fraudulent tax return and obtain a refund.
In recognition of this week, Pinellas County Consumer Protection will be at the Dunedin Library, 223 Douglas Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday (Jan. 25) to answer questions about tax identity theft and other consumer-related topics.
Proactive steps to lessen the chance of becoming a victim include:
- filing tax returns early in the tax season;
- using a secure internet connection to file electronically;
- mailing tax returns directly from the post office;
- shredding any extra copies of tax documents;
- responding to mail from the IRS as soon as possible;
- remembering that the IRS will not contact taxpayers by email, text or social media;
- only giving out Social Security numbers or Medicare numbers when absolutely necessary;
- free tax preparation help is available for qualifying taxpayers at “Tax Time, Need Help?”;
- and, checking credit reports at least once a year free of charge.
Those who believe they are victims of tax identity theft should contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. For more information about identity theft, contact Pinellas County Consumer Protection at (727) 464-6200 or go to pinellascounty.org.
Pinellas County | Identity Theft | Consumer Protection | Dunedin | Taxes | Tax Identity Theft | TB Reporter
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