FTC warns of identity theft scams targeting taxpayers during filing season

As tax season gets underway, the Federal Trade Commission is issuing a new warning about evolving identity theft scams, urging taxpayers to stay alert.

It’s part of an education campaign for Identity Theft Awareness Week.

Last year, the FTC filed more than a million victim reports, who lost more than $10 billion combined.

Kelle Slaughter, Senior Investigator with the FTC office in Dallas, says scammers are shifting their tactics, moving beyond traditional phone call scams and turning to text messages and emails to steal personal information.

"These text messages include statements like, ‘How to get your tax refund’ or ‘Here’s information about a tax rebate,’" Slaughter explained. "They lead to fake IRS websites where scammers capture your login details, or worse, install malware on your devices."

A member of our own NBC 5 team received a text from a number claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service and offering bonus money. It asks to go to a web link in the text, which Slaughter said is a fake site that will steal information.

“The unfortunate part of it is that sometimes when you click the link in these text messages, they lead you to a fake website that looks exactly like the IRS website. And when you log in with your username and password for that website, the scammer is capturing that information,” she said. “There may be questions that the scammer will ask on this fake website that may actually be answers to your security passwords on other platforms.”

The FTC advises taxpayers to avoid clicking on links in unsolicited text messages or emails. Instead, visit IRS.gov directly to verify any information about tax refunds or rebates.

Imposters are also pretending to be the FTC.

“The FTC will never threaten you, say you must transfer your money to “protect it,” or tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold and give it to someone. That’s a scam. Report it,” says a statement on the official FTC Consumer Advice site, which has several helpful articles about what to look out for.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Slaughter says there are several steps people can take to safeguard their personal and financial information:

Freeze Your Credit: A credit freeze, which is free through Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, prevents scammers from opening new accounts in your name. You can easily unfreeze it when you need to.

Use Strong Passwords & Multi-Factor Authentication: This extra security measure can help prevent thieves from accessing financial and social media accounts, even if they have your login information.

Beware of Unsolicited Calls, Texts, and Emails: If someone contacts you claiming to be from the IRS or another government agency, don’t engage. Instead, call the agency directly using a verified phone number. The IRS will never ask for your social security number and other sensitive information over the phone.  The IRS usually contacts taxpayers via physical mail through the U.S. Postal Service.

File Taxes Early: The IRS has long advised that filing early can reduce your risk of tax-related identity theft. Beat the scammers to the punch so that they can’t use stolen information to file

Use an IRS PIN: The IRS offers an identity protection PIN, which is a six-digit number, to protect taxpayers from someone else filing for them. This number helps the IRS verify your identity when you’re filing.

Every year, the FTC collects and analyzes consumer complaints, and identity theft remains a top concern. In its latest Data Book for 2023, the FTC reported that impersonation scams and identity theft were the top two categories of complaints from consumers nationwide.

Scammers are also targeting children, whose Social Security numbers can be compromised in data breaches and misused for years before the fraud is detected. Slaughter urges parents to consider freezing their child’s credit to prevent future financial harm.

"By the time a child turns 18, they could already have terrible credit due to fraud," she warned. “Unfortunately, we're living in a day and age where we've experienced data breaches in schools. And a child's Social Security number may be exposed and sold to other scammers.”

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE A VICTIM

If you believe you’ve been targeted by a tax-related scam, the FTC recommends reporting it immediately.  Click here to file a report.

You can visit IdentityTheft.gov for step-by-step guidance on recovering from identity theft.

"It is extremely important that people should report identity theft. Don't be embarrassed about it. It is a universal problem that we all have no matter where you are,” Slaughter said. "When people report identity theft to the FTC, we share those reports with other law enforcement agencies that have the authority to investigate and take action. Law enforcement is also analyzing those reports to determine how to shut down the scammers. It helps us to develop our casework."

For more information on protecting yourself from scams this tax season, visit FTC.gov or IRS.gov.

On Friday, Jan. 31, The FTC and AARP are hosting a Facebook Live to chat about identity theft at 12 PM CT. Learn about how to recognize the signs of identity theft to protect yourself and know what to do if it happens. Click here to join.