Sophie’s Corner
Revisiting Identity Theft: What to Be on The Lookout For
Are you concerned when you get a letter or phone call from a “Government Agency” and you don’t know if it is truly the government or someone trying to steal your identity?
Government imposter scams have been the top fraud type for 8 years and counting. Although physical mail and email are popular for scammers, their favorite is the phone call. The phone calls are generally intimidating and overly demanding. Make sure to take the time to educate yourself and others on how to avoid these imposters. Find more information here: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonator-scam
Fraud happens all over the country, and more than you might think right here in Montana. Cascade County has an annual shred day to help eliminate the possibility of fraud. According to Becky Timmons with the Montana Federal Credit Union, tearing up or tossing important documents after you no longer need them isn’t enough protection against identity theft or exposure. “We have had so much fraud lately on our accounts and it comes from different directions. It is either online or people trying to deposit checks that aren’t real, things like that. We do have stolen identity cases when somebody gets a Social Security number and starts taking out Credit or applying for loans in people’s names. So we do see a lot of that. You really can never be too careful when it comes to your personal information so that’s why we really stress properly disposing of your personal information so it doesn’t get into the hands of somebody that could use it against you,” Timmons said. Read more about Great Falls’ annual shred day here: https://www.kulr8.com/great-falls/join-our-5th-annual-shred-day-to-eliminate-the-possibility-of-identity-theft/article_64de8352-813c-531d-96a8-6aa35a52a565.html
How to Protect Your SSN
- Ask Why They Want It and How It Will Be Handled…
- Leave Your Card at Home…
- Shred Mail and Documents With Personal Details…
- Don’t Use Your SSN as a Password …
- Don’t Send Your SSN via an Electronic Device …
- Don’t Give It Out to Strangers…
- Monitor Your Bank and Credit Card Accounts…
IRS will never:
- Initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text, or social media to request personal or financial information
- Call taxpayers with threats of lawsuits or arrests
- Call, email, or text to request taxpayers’ Identity Protection PINs
The IRS mails letters or notices to taxpayers for a variety of reasons including if:
- They have a balance due
- They are due a larger or smaller refund
- The agency has a question about their tax return
- They need to verify identity
- The agency needs additional information
- The agency changed its tax return
Closing tips:
- Check the address you receive physical from (is it a real government address?)
- Check the email address you receive electronic mail from (is it .gov?) You can forward suspected scam emails to phishing@irs.gov
- If you think you are a victim of fraud you can report it here ftc.gov.
