Criminal Actors Steal U.S. Taxpayer Identity to File False Tax Returns, Claim Refunds

The FBI is warning the public about criminal actors stealing U.S. taxpayer identities to file false tax returns and fraudulently claim refunds.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has received over 1,000 complaints about identity theft in connection with tax returns within the past year, representing a 26 per cent increase from the previous year.

Criminal actors often redirect stolen refunds to accounts or addresses they control, including bank accounts, prepaid debit cards, mail drops and/or third-party accounts.

The IRS recommends establishing an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN), a 6-digit number assigned to taxpayers to help prevent the misuse of a taxpayer’s Social Security number on fraudulent federal income tax returns.

Once enrolled, a new IP PIN will be generated each year. Enrollment in the IP PIN program starts by establishing an online account at IRS.gov.

If the taxpayer is a victim of tax identity theft, the IRS will automatically enroll the taxpayer into the IP PIN program.

For further information on how to enroll in the IP PIN program, go to: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-theft-guide-for-individuals#steps.

The FBI requested taxpayers who suspect they have been a victim of identity theft to report the incident to the FBI IC3 at www.ic3.gov as quickly as possible.

Additional information regarding identity theft may be found at identitytheft.gov.