Tax season is here. This is how you can protect yourself from scammers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — It's tax season, and that means accountants and scammers are hard at work.
There are new ways scammers are trying to trick you out of your money or steal your identity.
"These scammers have even been known to provide fabricated badge ID numbers whenever you pick up the phone, provide the name of an actual IRS employee and even tell people to check their LinkedIn profile for verification," said Caitlin Driscoll with the Better Business Bureau.
She said scammers will use a full-court press in the next few weeks because it works.
"Last year, taxpayers reportedly lost over $4.26 million to just IRS imposter scams," Driscoll said.
And if you receive a suspicious robocall, don't fall for the convincing follow-up emails.
"Then they start to receive follow-up emails to back up the phone call that use the IRS logo colors, official-sounding language," Driscoll said.
There's one big reason to file as early as possible. You need to beat scammers to the punch because a lot of people paid the price last year.
"The IRS flagged over 1 million tax returns for potential identity theft during last year's tax season," Driscoll said.
Her tip to avoid tax identity theft and losing your refund to a scammer: file early and consider using an identity protection pin.
"Just a six-digit number that, in addition to your social security number, confirms your identity," Driscoll said. "So, when you apply, you have to provide your IP pin each year when you file your federal tax return."
When it comes to tax preparers, if someone promises a larger refund than the competition or says they know secret tactics, be suspicious.
Also, only specific tax preparers can represent their clients to the IRS in the case of an audit. Basic tax preparers cannot do that.