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Pinellas Warns Taxpayers to Protect Themselves from Identity Theft

Identity Theft | Tax Identity Theft | Social Security

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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