Tax Refund Scams To Watch Out For - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Tax Refund Scams To Watch Out For

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posted by: Mark Bradshaw - email

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  • Friday, May 17 2013 11:17 PM EDT2013-05-18 03:17:33 GMT
    An inmate is on the loose in Etowah County.  The Sheriff's department says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center (ECDC) Friday morning.  Justin Wade Hopkins, 30, escaped from
    The Etowah County Sheriff's Office says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center Friday morning. 

Tax day is less than two weeks away. And while you're spending time preparing your tax return, scam artists are figuring out ways to steal your money and identity.

This year, for the first time ever, the number one target for scam-artists is your tax refund.  ID thieves are especially interested in your return because it has all the information they need.

Tracy Cochran couldn't wait to get this year's tax refund because money was tight. But instead of a $2400 IRS check, she received a notice that somebody else had filed a return in her name. A thief was trying to intercept her refund. There are two versions of the scam:

  • Fake tax prep services. Thieves offer to do other people's taxes for free, then file fraudulent returns with Uncle Sam and high jack the refunds for themselves.
  • Con artists can target your kids, stealing children's social security numbers, and listing them as dependents to try and score a larger refund.

Stealing identities. Tracey Cochran can tell you how it feels. "I went into a panic, an absolute panic." She's not alone.  An investigation of 1.4 million complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission  found tax identity theft has more than tripled in the past five years.

Click here for ways to spot and prevent tax identity theft.

(Source: ABC News)