IRS National Consumer Protection Week - Personal Finance
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation branch, the agency identified over $4.5 billion in tax-related fraud in fiscal year 2025. A lot of personal information is exchanged during tax season, making it a “gold mine” for hackers.
Nina Pineda has written an article to help you identify fraud and prevent the theft of your personal information. The IRS recommends filing your taxes early and electronically and always using an Identity Protection Pin. Using this pin means you, and only you, can manage your taxes. This six-digit pin can help stop a hacker from filing a tax return using your Social Security number. First, you need to create an ID.me account.
Fraud is one reason paper checks are being phased out. Choose direct deposit and file your return electronically. You also need to be aware of IRS impostors. The IRS will never call you; they will not pressure you to pay over the phone; they will not ask you to pay with cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin; and they will not have you send them money via Zelle or CashApp. They will definitely not pressure you to act over the phone, via text message, or on Social Media.
To read the full article by Nina Pineda, click here …
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