Taxpayers — Beware of Scammers

Taxpayers need to protect themselves from scammers who want to steal the identities of unwary people. The California State Board of Equalization warns that identity thieves are becoming very sophisticated in the methods they use to obtain information.
According to the BOE Chairman and Franchise Tax Board Member Jerome E. Horton, taxpayers should take a few simple steps to keep from being preyed upon by data thieves and cyber criminals.
“I stand with the Internal Revenue Service and other state tax agencies throughout our great nation in encouraging California taxpayers to follow safeguards for protecting their information,” said BOE Chairman Jerome E. Horton. “Criminals have access to a good deal of personal data which they can use to file fraudulent returns. I urge you to become aware of security measures you can take online and at home to protect your data from cyber criminals.”
On November 19, tax authorities in Washington, D.C. made the appeal to the public at a news conference that included more than a dozen state tax agency executives, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and representatives of the tax preparation and software developer industries.
“Identity thieves are evolving, and so must we,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The IRS, the states, and the tax industry are putting in place even tougher safeguards. But, we need the public’s help. We need people to join with us and take an active role in protecting their personal and financial data from thieves.”
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourselves:
–       Use security software with firewall and anti-virus protections.
–       Use automatic updates.
–       Encrypt your tax returns and other sensitive data.
–       Use strong passwords.
If you are expecting a message from your bank or tax software company, you should beware of phishing emails. A link may take you to a fake website that is designed to steal your log-on information. The attachment you open may include a virus or malware that allows a thief to get into your sensitive files.
Phone scams are another way that identity thieves access your information. If you get a call from an aggressive or belligerent person who says you will be sued or jailed if you don’t make an immediate payment, this is a scam.
The BOE will have sent letters before you receive a phone call, which would only be to discuss payment options. Remember, if you want to make sure a call to collect a BOE or FTB debt is legitimate, you can call either of their customer service centers to make sure. The BOE’s number is 1-800-400-7335 and the FTB’s is 1-800-852-5711.