How To Avoid IRS Tax Scams!

Tax and financial scams exposed!

Ever felt the shock and horror when you discover that you’ve been scammed? Or deepfaked?

Today’s digitalized environment has triggered cybercrime, digital fraud and AI-enhanced scamming at an unimaginable rate. And you could easily be the next victim… if you haven’t already!

In this episode of the Hidden Money Podcast, Mike and Kevin share their concern and strongly encourage you to be protected and your data secured. They expose several scams, and share both personal experiences as well as key information, practical tips and strategies to avoid being financially and tax scammed. See below for links to resources they share.

In this podcast, we discuss

Various scams beyond IRS identity theft, including email phishing attempts targeting office expenses.

The importance of verifying suspicious emails and leveraging IT support for confirmation.

The significance of robust security measures for CPA firms to prevent data breaches and potential lawsuits.

The implementation of dual-factor authentication, cloud-based systems and data encryption to enhance client data security.

The use of password management tools like Dashlane to generate secure passwords, password management and Dark Web monitoring.

Personal experiences with credit card fraud, including instances of stolen credit card information.

Challenges in reporting credit card theft to law enforcement and the role of financial institutions in reimbursement.

Strategies for preventing credit card theft, such as avoiding leaving valuables in plain sight in vehicles and forgetting cards in public places.

To Learn More

If you believe you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you can access the Identity Theft Affidavit PDF as well as online Form 14039 here - When to file an Identity Theft Affidavit | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

To be proactive in getting an Identity Protection PIN (Form 15227), you can apply for it here - Get An Identity Protection PIN | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

You can reach out to Mike and Kevin on their website - Pine and Company CPAs - Investment Tax Strategy | Ongoing Tax Monitoring | Tax Filing (pinecocpas.com) if you have questions or want to schedule an appointment.

To start using the tax code as a tool to grow your wealth, schedule a call with Pine & Co. CPAs: Consultation (pinecocpas.com)