Louisville (WHAS11) -- Attorney Andy Beshear and AARP Kentucky have issued a scam alert to help Kentuckians protect their tax returns from being stolen by scammers.
Tax identity fraud may occur when your social security number is used to file a tax return in your name before you are able to file.
More than 120 tax-related scams were reported to the Attorney General last year, including identity fraud. This number represents families in 43 counties.
“The best weapon in fighting tax-theft scammers is to file your return early, electronically and use official state and federal websites to monitor your refund,” said Beshear. “By filing early in the tax season, you can reduce your risk of identity theft by submitting your return before scammers. Waiting only gives con artists more time to steal your refund.”
“Fraud targeting taxpayers continues to run rampant nationwide. And 2017 was a runaway year for fraudsters, and with the amount of valid information they have on consumers, their attacks are just getting more sophisticated,” said AARP Kentucky State President Charlotte Whittaker. “If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam. Watch out for these two tax crimes making headlines: tax identity theft and the IRS imposter scam.”
In order to avoid tax scams, AARP Kentucky and the Office of Senior Protection and Mediation recommends filing early with the IRS's Free File programs and state programs and reviewing the status of your refund by visiting the IRS's "Where's My Refund?" website.
Beshear says that the IRS may contact victims of tax fraud through a mailed letter, while others may discover fraud once they attempt to file their taxes.
If you are a victim of tax fraud, quickly follow these steps: Contact the IRS at 800-908-4490 and the Kentucky Department of Revenue at 502-564-4581. Follow the Attorney General's Identity Theft Kit to place a fraud alert on your credit file, obtain a report from your local law enforcement agency, and review your credit reports.
The filing deadline for federal and state income tax returns is Tuesday, April 17, 2018.
