As we kick off the tax season, many of us expect and impatiently wait for a tax refund. And while we wait for our refund money to arrive, we realize that our refund check or direct bank deposit is delayed which may be caused by unsuccessful submission of tax return, IRS overload, system breakdown, lost refund check, and tax refund fraud. In 2013, about 43% of all identity theft complaints in the US were related to tax returns compared to 15% in 2010. Tax refund fraud is way too easy to commit which explains the triple percentage jump in just 3 years. One way to avoid becoming a victim of stolen tax refund is to file taxes as early as possible and check the refund status frequently. If you are a victim of tax refund, you will most likely receive a letter from the government stating that you have filed more than one tax return which is a pretty good indication of tax refund fraud in which case you should contact the tax organization immediately. The burden to validate the identity of the tax filer before the refund money is distributed rests with the tax organization which is out of your control; however, you must file tax returns promptly, follow up with the refund status, and inform the tax entity of potential fraud to immediately start the investigation.

Read this article to learn more about tax refund scams and how to check the status of your tax refund if you live in the United States.

Thank You and Be Identity Safe,

Henry Bagdasarian
Identity Management Institute

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