Ten Things the IRS Wants You to Know About Identity Theft
Everywhere I look, I run into lists. We seem to be obsessed with them. I’ve run across the following lists just today, and it’s only 3:00 in the afternoon:
-Top ten things to make out of Lego;
-The 100 best companies;
-Seven ways to improve the results of sales calls; and
-Twenty-five people to blame for our economic woes.
I’m sure that you can readily recall any number of lists that you’ve recently seen. How about the best-dressed stars at the Oscars, or maybe the ten snowiest winters in Detroit?
Not to be outdone by popular culture, the Internal Revenue Service has jumped into the list-making game. One of the IRS lists that I thought was particularly timely and helpful is reprinted below. A lot has been published about identity theft in recent years, but this list is one of the few pieces I’ve seen that addresses what you should do AFTER a problem arises. You’ll find this list and a host of other interesting tax-related topics at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/content/0,,id=106439,00.html.
Ten Things the IRS Wants You to Know About Identity Theft
IRS TAX TIP 2009-11
1. If you receive a letter or notice from the IRS which leads you to believe someone may have fraudulently used your Social Security Number, respond immediately to the name and address or phone number printed on the IRS notice.
2. If you receive a letter from the IRS that indicates more than one tax return was filed for you, this may be a sign that your SSN was used fraudulently.
3. Another sign that you may be the target of identity theft is an IRS letter indicating you received wages from an employer unknown to you.
4. The IRS has a department which deals specifically with identity theft issues. The IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit is available if you have been in contact with the IRS about an identity theft issue and have not achieved a resolution.
5. You can contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit by calling the Identity Theft Hotline at 800-908-4490 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific Standard Time).
6. The IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit is also available if you believe your identity may be at risk of being stolen due to a lost or stolen purse or wallet or due to questionable activity on your credit card or your credit report.
7. The IRS never initiates communication with taxpayers about their tax account through emails. If you receive an e-mail or find a Web site you think is pretending to be the IRS, forward the e-mail or Web site URL to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
8. The IRS has many more resources available to help inform taxpayers about identity theft on the IRS Web site at IRS.gov. On IRS.gov you can access information on how to report scams and bogus IRS Web sites. You can also visit the IRS Identity Theft Resource Page, which you can find by typing Identity Theft Resource Page in the search box on the IRS.gov home page.
9. The Federal Trade Commission is also available to assist taxpayers with identity theft issues. You can reach them at 877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338).
10. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for protection tips from the federal government and the technology industry.
Lee Flaherty
—————————————–