As soon as February comes around, it’s a good bet the IRS will start making its shrill call: “Tax returns! Tax returns! Tax returns!†Not only will these bring all those wayward W-4 forms out of the woodwork, but it will also draw the spring crop of identity thieves. What are these identity thieves looking for? Social Security numbers! And there are plenty to be found in mailboxes and among the Web world of the online filers. Just filing your taxes without the extra worry of identity theft is enough trouble, isn’t it. So what can you do to protect yourself from identity theft?
Keep online information secure
First of all, make sure the website where you’re submitting your tax information really is the legitimate one. Your personal tax software and irs.gov will together give you all that you need to know. Don’t trust information from other sources, like unsolicited email forwards, direct mailers or phone calls, and never do your taxes on a public computer. If you choose to ignore this advice, you could be just an automatic save away from dropping your Social Security number into an unsecured Word file where a thief can then pick it up at his or her leisure. Remember, they have the same free library access as anyone else. It is best to use your own computer and make sure your own computer is up to date with a full internet security suite with anti-virus, phishing and keylogging protection. If you don’t have access to a private computer, it might be safer for you to stick to filing by mail or to have an accountant send your taxes in for you.
Keep paper documents secure
So you’re filing by mail. That means you dodged the online identity thieves, but there are still plenty of them that operate old school by digging through trash, riffling through unlocked mailboxes or poring over recycling bins. Make sure these pests leave empty handed by dropping your return at the post office or at least in one of those official looking USPS mailboxes that are difficult to tamper with. If you want to be positive your return makes it wear it’s supposed to go, you may even want to shell out the couple bucks to send it by certified mail. That way a signature will be required upon receipt.
Whichever way you file your taxes, remember that the shredder is your friend. Use it for tax forms you no longer need, receipts, any kind of paper that has even a hint of personal information on it. You can never be too careful these days, and it can even be fun watching all those old bank statements and bills get slowly ripped to shreds of their former selves. If you don’t have a shredder of your own, be on the lookout for shredding days in your local community. Most times they’re sponsored by office supply stores or financial institutions and they tend to proliferate around tax time. No such luck? You can always cross out important information with a good and sturdy pen. It takes a lot longer, but the results can be just as good. Check the forms carefully since numbers are often repeated several times.
Filing your taxes is enough stress so make sure it doesn’t result in identity theft or your stress level will go through the roof. If you haven’t purchased identity theft protection you may want to consider doing so just for the added peace of mind it brings knowing your credit and identity is protected and backed by a service guarantee or insurance. You can compare identity theft protection options here and save on these companies regular rates.