ADOR reminds Arizonans not to give scammers a gift of tax info this holiday season

During this holiday season of family and giving, the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) is urging taxpayers and tax preparers to remain vigilant in protecting private information from scam artists.

The department says fraudsters use this time of year to target unsuspecting tax filers and tax professionals with tax-related scams that are over the phone, text or email (including phishing schemes), unsecure Wi-Fi, a data breach or hacking email accounts to obtain login passwords and financial data. Thieves also use card-skimming devices and will attempt to steal unattended personal mail.

To help prevent being the victim of identity theft, ADOR recommends the following:

• Do not carry identification with your social security number (SSN) on it.
• If someone asks for a SSN, always ask why because it is not always required.
• Keep personal and confidential information in a secure place.
• Take extra precautions when discarding personal or confidential information.
• Protect personal computers, smartphones and other devices by using anti-virus software.
• Use strong passwords and never share your passwords.
• Do not use the same password for multiple accounts/applications.
• Check your free credit report annually at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Monitor wage earnings by examining your statement from the Social Security Administration.
• Never give personal information through email, social media or text messaging and, unless you initiated the call, never give personal information over the phone.

Arizona taxpayers can also contact the Department of Revenue’s Identity Theft Call Center at 602-716-6300, toll-free: 1-800-352-4090, or https://azdor.gov/individual-income-tax-information/identity-theft.

The Arizona Department of Revenue has an advanced fraud prevention system in place and continues to adapt and introduce new counter measures to address ongoing consumer scams.

Monday, Dec. 3, 2018