INDIANAPOLIS — It’s tax season, which means there will be scammers trying to steal your money and your identity.

So how can you protect yourself? You can start now, by filing early, says Casey Marx with Crown Haven Wealth Advisors in Indianapolis.

“Scammers will typically start in late March and early April,” Marx told WISH-TV. “So if you get out ahead of this and file right now, you’re not even going to give the scammers a chance.”

Marx also says if you decide to file your taxes on your own, make sure you do it at home.

“You don’t want to use public wifi, like at the library,” he said. “If you do it at home, make sure you have strong anti-virus protection and strong firewalls.”

One easy way to detect a scam is if you get a phone call from someone claiming they are the IRS.

“One of the most recent scams that the IRS has put out a notice for is someone calling you and saying they will cancel or suspend your social security number if you don’t comply with our request. That’s not true. The IRS will never call you, unless you’ve reached out to them first.”

Marx adds that the IRS will never try to get a hold of you through a message on social media.

If you do get scammed, and your identity gets stolen, Marx says it will become an ugly process after that, which includes you having to inform the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission, the local police and the three major credit bureaus.

 

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay