The dreaded day isn’t too far off in the future. Well, dreaded for some of us and worth celebrating for others. I remember back in the day when I used to get a refund. The drawback of not having small kids is there are less credits to claim, but that’s another post. This post is the one where I tell you to be careful about having your identity stolen. The amount of personal information laying around your house right now, coming through the USPS, and on your computer is an identity thief’s dream!
Be cognizant. If you have all your tax documents laying on the kitchen table over the next week or so while you sort through all your receipts, 1099s, W-2s, and other forms a quick peek through the kitchen window and someone can access your entire families social security numbers, bank account information, and other information. Don’t think it doesn’t happen or that it won’t happen to you. It’s a risk not worth taking. Keep all your tax documents in a file and when not in use – lock them securely in a safe. Treat this information like cash because that is exactly what it is to a thief.
Another important thing to remember during tax season is that if you receive email from the IRS it better be from the www.irs.gov but if you aren’t sure it is your responsibility to help protect others and report it to phishing@irs.gov. Also remember to make your passwords strong when filing your taxes online using capital letters and special characters in random sequences. Finally, I suggest that you save your taxes to a CD or USB that is locked in your safe, not on your computer. For other tax tips check out LifeLock!
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Disclosure: I have received compensation for my participation as a LifeLock Ambassador. All opinions are my own
