With the deadline for filing taxes fast approaching on April 15, a financial planner in Prince George’s County, Maryland, is warning people about scams to look out for during tax season.
For some, filing for taxes is a challenging and arduous process. One of the big issues is fraud.
Around tax season, fraud cases are usually on the rise because scammers see an opportunity to steal your hard-earned money. Scammers call potential victims and pretend that they’re from the IRS, which doesn’t call people to ask for their money.
Last year, the IRS flagged over one million tax returns for identity fraud during tax season, a report from the Treasury Department found, adding that it confirmed 12,617 identity theft returns that same year.
Crystal Davis, president of tax preparation and wealth management company Davis Financial Services in Camp Springs, tells her clients to beware of scammers.
“You really need to protect your information, your Social Security numbers, your driver’s license numbers, of course, your bank accounts and everything,” she said. “You don’t want to send things over email with sensitive information unless it’s encrypted or it goes through a special process.”
