Tax Scams Spring Eternal
Last year we saw no end to online tax scam horror stories. People received frightening emails from phishers posing as the IRS and threatening an audit; they were sent to fake IRS web sites to "confirm" their bank information; and they were told they could receive their 2008 economic stimulus payment if they just handed over a few crucial personal details. This year we've heard relatively little about new online scams, which is great—but don't relax just yet.
If you're filing your taxes online, be extra careful that you're using a service that the IRS has investigated and approved. Go to www.irs.gov for a list of recommended services. File from your home computer, and make sure your home network firewall is updated and secure.
And if you prefer to submit via the U.S. postal service (or an overnight delivery service for you laggards), make sure you drop your envelope in a secured drop box, preferably at the post office. What you don't want to do is leave it in your mailbox at the end of your driveway where an identity thief can get at it easily.
If you do happen to come across an email, letter, or phone call that purports to be from the IRS but seems suspicious, remember that you can always check IRS.gov and click on the link to "Information About Phishing and e-mail Scams" to see if anybody has reported anything.
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