Celebrating Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week

Posted on by Judith
This week’s blog helps promote a great effort organized by the the Federal Trade Commission–the government office in charge of taking all possible measures to protect American consumers.  Seena Gressin’s recent post to the site’s blog promotes Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week celebrated January 30th through February 3rd.

Gressin, an attorney on staff at the FTC remindss us tax identity thieves and IRS imposters are ready for tax season, whether we are or not. Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week is designed to provide education and awareness.

Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number (SSN) to file a phony tax return and claim your refund. Employment-related tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your SSN to earn wages that are reported as your income.

Free webinars and Twitter chats are scheduled for the week of January 30th. Whether you’re a consumer, tax professional, or small business, learn to reduce your risk of tax identity theft, and what to if it happens to you:

  • January 30, 2 p.m. EST: The FTC, IRS, and National Association of Tax Professionals host a webinar for tax professionals, offering practical guidance about new scams targeting client information, cybersecurity, and how tax professionals can help identity theft victims.
  • January 31, 3 p.m. EST: The FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center invite consumers to a Twitter chat about tax identity theft.
  • February 1, 11 a.m. EST: The FTC and the Department of Veterans Affairs co-host a Twitter chat for service members, veterans, and their families. Learn to minimize your risk of tax identity theft and how to recover if it happens to you.
  • February 1, 1 p.m. EST: The FTC, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration host a webinar about tax identity theft for veterans, their families, and those who serve them.
  • February 1, 4 p.m. EST: The FTC and IRS offer a webinar for small businesses. Learn about tax identity theft, imposter scams targeting businesses, data breach avoidance and response, and free resources to help you protect your business, employees, and customers.
  • February 2, 2 p.m. EST: The FTC, AARP Fraud Watch Network, AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration co-host a webinar for consumers about tax identity theft and recovery steps for victims.

For details, visit ftc.gov/taxidtheft. You’ll also find tweets, tips, and blog posts you can use to promote tax identity theft awareness in your community. Wishing you happy returns this tax season!

There are also plenty of valuable resources at legalshred.com

by Judith