With the 2017 tax return season upon us, a surge in potential tax scams is likely to come with it. These scams come in many forms including fraudulent returns, phony calls, fake Internal Revenue Service (IRS) emails, as well as phishing schemes. These can lead to the theft of taxpayer money and/or personal data.

Mitigation:

• Do not carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your SSN or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
• Do not give businesses your SSN or ITIN just because they ask
• Protect your financial information
• Check your credit score every 12 months
• Secure PII in your home
• Protect you personal computers by using firewalls, anti-virus software, updating security patches, changing passwords for internet accounts on a regular basis
• Do not give your personal information over the phone, through the mail, or on the internet unless you have initiated the contact and are sure of the recipient
• File your taxes as soon as possible

Contact Military OneSource with any tax questions and assistance with tax prep and filing.  http://www.militaryonesource.mil/taxprep