7 Tips To Protect Yourself From IRS Scammers, #197
How can you protect your data and personal information from IRS scammers and criminals? Everyone is afraid of being audited by the IRS. Maybe you’re scared you may have filed your taxes incorrectly. Criminals take advantage of that fear to perpetuate their scams. But there are some simple things you can do to avoid falling victim to these scams. I’ll share 7 tips you can use to protect yourself from IRS scammers in this episode!
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
[1:15] Sign up for the Retirement Readiness Review!
[2:42] Tip #1: The IRS only reaches out through the mail
[4:43] Tip #2: Be suspicious of emails from the “IRS”
[6:26] Tip #3: Don’t send checks through the mail
[7:44] Tip #4: Protect your personally identifiable information (PII)
[8:49] Tip #5: Pay your bills electronically when possible
[9:15] Tip #6: Request direct deposit for paychecks
[10:14] Tip #7: Set up two-factor authentication
What you need to know about the IRS
Did you know that the IRS doesn’t make phone calls or leave voicemail messages? They won’t send a text or contact you on social media. They don’t use email either. If the IRS has a problem with you, they’ll send you a letter.
So if you get a phone call saying someone is from the IRS and they need more information from you, hang up, and block their phone number (and report it as spam).
These scammers threaten people, saying they’ll lose their immigration status, driver’s license, business license, or they’ll call law enforcement to arrest them. Don’t fall victim to these threats.
If you do receive a letter from the IRS, don’t panic. The majority of the time it’s a simple fix that your CPA or financial advisor can help you navigate. It may be as simple as a missing 1099.
Be suspicious of emails from the “IRS”
Anytime you get an email from someone unfamiliar, hover over the address of the email to see who it’s from. You’ll see mistakes in the email addresses (often misspellings) from scammers. Make sure you never click on any links in an email before you know it’s from someone or a business you trust.
If you click on one of these links, you’re allowing the scammer into your computer or phone. They can install spyware or hijack your files. They’ll lock your files and demand a ransom to get them back. 10 years ago, this happened to me.
Protect your personally identifiable information (PII)
PII is your social security number, DOV, driver’s license, bank account information, etc. Don’t email anything that contains your PII—even if it’s to someone you know and trust. If your email is ever hacked, the hackers can access this information and use it to open accounts in your name. Most financial firms offer upload options such as Box or ShareFile.
One of the best things you can do to protect your information is to set up two-factor authentication whenever you can. Two-factor authentication requires that you offer two ways of proving that it’s you logging in. You may need to provide a username, password, and PIN.
You can use an authenticator app that provides a PIN that resets every 30 seconds. Or, you can have a pin texted to you. If a scammer can steal your username and password, they probably can’t breach the two-factor authentication.
Resources Mentioned
Subscribe to the Retire with Ryan YouTube Channel