Winter has arrived and you know tax season will be rearing its ugly head before you know it. If you find yourself looking for a tax preparer to help you decipher all of those deductions and W-2s, be sure to stay away from a little company called “Sharon’s Tax Services” run by Sharon Thurman.
According to the Department of Justice, the owner of this establishment, Sharon Thurman, allegedly tried to get over $50,000 in fraudulent tax refunds using the names and Social Security numbers of her unsuspecting clients. If she’s convicted, she could be fined as much as $4 million and go to prison for a very long time.
This is just another example of people in a position of having personal information for legitimate work purposes misusing this information to commit identity theft. It is a disturbing occurrence because the consumer who chooses to take advantage of the service is not doing anything negligent and still ends up a victim anyway. It’s just as bad as when a data breach happens and someone posts the stolen personal information on the Internet.
Of course, you should be very careful when choosing your tax preparer. You may want to stick with an established company, like H&R Block, go through your financial institution or ask friends and family for referrals. But even then, there is no guarantee you’ll be safe.
In addition to taking that step, another good one to pursue is identity theft protection. You may be thinking that you don’t need such a plan and that it really isn’t worth the money but if you do some research, you’ll find that they are very affordable and they are helping consumers to keep their credit safe. This is especially important when statistics compiled by the Federal Trade Commission show that over 10 million Americans were victimized last year. Preparing your taxes is a hassle enough. It is nothing compared to the hassle of getting your identity restored.