Avoiding Tax Season Scams

Tax season means a lot of private and financial information floating around. That has authorities warning the public about frauds and scams.

Police want people to head to the IRS’s scams website to check out a number of scams that are popping up during tax season.

One of them is someone impersonating an IRS agent on the phone demanding a payment through pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.

That one has been making the rounds across the country, and it’s sophisticated. The con artist knows a lot about the target and sounds legitimate.

Officials want you to keep in mind that the IRS does not demand immediate payment and will always first mail a bill.

Police are also saying this is a good time to review your credit report to make sure you haven’t already been made a victim.

Federal law requires each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, to provide you with a free credit report every 12 months if you request it. You can begin this process under the “Request Yours Now!” tab at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/. This is your credit report, not your credit score. Your credit report is simply a record of your past borrowing and repayment history.

You can also check out the Federal Trade Commission’s website at http://www.ftc.gov/ for further consumer protection and identity theft resources.