Race the Tax Crooks

On your mark, get set…GO. The race is about to begin between you and the computer crooks who are intent on stealing both your identity and any tax refunds you may be entitled to. The Super Bowl for these cheats and scoundrels has already begun. While most Americans think of April 15 as a tax filing deadline a true hacker sees the very start of tax filing season as an opportunity to grab what he or she can as soon as possible. The game gets played this way: hackers will attempt to file tax returns for you using the identity information they have stolen. The object is to get a refund way before you do. So how then to cross the finish line 1^st? IRS councils that the best way is to file early. If you are able to beat the scoundrels there is a good chance that your refund will find its way to you. At the time of the writing of this bulletin the government, including the IRS, may in fact be closed again. With that closing may go your opportunity to get in the game at all. It will also give tax crooks more time to implement their strategies. No sense trying to call IRS…the phones won’t work in shutdown.