Taxpayers see red over identity theft

Identity theft cases tend to peak during tax-filing season as thieves snatch taxpayers’ IDs to file fraudulent returns and claim refunds so now is a good time to talk about steps you should be taking to avoid having your IDs filched.

The Internal Revenue Service placed identify theft at the top of its “dirty dozen” list of tax scams this year and has 3,000 people working on such cases.

“This tax season, the IRS has stepped up its efforts to protect tax-payers from a wide range of schemes, including moving aggressively to combat identify theft and refund fraud,” said acting IRS commissioner Steven T. Miller.  The IRS doesn’t make people liable for the frauds, but it is a rigorous process that delays their refunds.

You can take proactive steps to avoid theft, including cutting up debit cards,  or buying credit protection from a service.

About 9 million Americans have their identity stolen, costing consumers about $5 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Protect yourself from credit identity theft you have worked hard to establish your credit now you need to protect it.