It’s Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week!

‘Tis the season for tax returns, rebate checks, and unfortunately… identity theft. This is a common time of the year for scammers to steal the identity of innocent consumers, using it to file fraudulent tax returns and take rebate checks.

In order to help protect consumers and bring this problem into the spotlight, the United States Federal Trade Commission hosts their annual Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. This year, the observation will run from Monday, January 30th through Friday, February 3rd.

To help the cause, the financial consultants at American Investment Planners, LLC have put together this short list of tips to help you keep your identity safe:

• Get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS.
• Check your financial statements every month – keep an eye out for unfamiliar charges.
• Monitor your credit reports on a regular basis.
• Don’t release any information to callers claiming to be with the IRS.
• Know the warning signs of identity theft.
• If you suspect you have been a victim of identity theft, file a report with the FTC.

Want to learn more about Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week? All week long, the FTC, IRS, Department of Veterans Affairs, AARP Fraud Watch Network, and others will go online to discuss tax identity theft, IRS impostor scams, cybersecurity, and identity theft recovery. Here is a schedule of their events:

• Monday, January 30th: Identity theft for tax professionals webinar at 2 P.M.
• Tuesday, January 31st: General tax identity theft Twitter chat at 3 P.M.
• Wednesday, February 1st: Tax identity theft for service members and veterans Twitter chat at 11 A.M.
• Wednesday, February 1st: Tax identity theft for services members and veterans webinar at 1 P.M.
• Wednesday, February 1st: Protecting sensitive business and customer information webinar at 4 P.M.
• Thursday, February 2nd: Tax identity theft recovery steps webinar at 2 P.M.

American Investment Planners, LLC offers professional financial planning services to individuals and families across the country. Whether you need help filing your taxes or deciding how to spend your rebate, our financial advisors are here to help.

To schedule an appointment with one of our consultants, please call (516) 932-5130 or email info@americaninvestmentplanners.com.