纳税季节可能是一年中压力最大的时候, 不幸的是, some fraudsters take advantage of people filing federal and state taxes. Your best weapon to combat tax scams is your own common sense. If you are ever in doubt of sincerity, contact the IRS or your state taxing authority directly. 这里有五种方法来保护自己免受税务诈骗.

1. 使用电话时要小心.

The IRS will never call, email, or contact you via social media to collect money. If someone is reaching out through these means stating they are from the IRS, 不以任何方式回应. If the IRS is contacting you, their first contact will always be with a letter. Don’t give any information to anyone contacting you from these other methods and certainly don’t send them any money.

2. 早期文件.

By filing your taxes early, you can get your refund faster and have more time to ask questions. Filing early also makes it more difficult for someone to file a phony return and claim a refund in your name.

3. 谨防网络钓鱼.

Phishing is a scam where a thief pretends to be a legitimate company and tries to collect your personal information, 通常通过电子邮件. Be careful about sharing any personal information with someone who contacts you via email. Always take steps to verify identity before communicating via email or clicking any links. Some of these steps include: looking closely at the sender's email, researching the subject line and email to see if it’s been reported with fraud, and calling the actual place to ensure it was sent by them.

4. 保护好你的电脑和你自己.

Make sure that your computer is protected by using a long, complex password both on your device and for any programs you may use. Use different passwords on important websites to further protect yourself. 投资 in computer anti-virus software and identity protection is another great way to stay one step ahead. One of Arbor Financial's member benefits is affordable identity protection through ID保护.

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5. 警惕虚假的慈善机构.

A growing number of tax scams are related to phony organizations soliciting help for victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters, 包括流行病. 在捐赠之前一定要对慈善机构进行调查.

报税可能会很有压力, but it doesn’t have to be; Arbor Financial is here to help you file and get the best refund possible. 在纳税季节，享受TurboTax ^®and H&R块 ^® 作为Arbor Financial会员的折扣. Be sure to check out our free Level Up courses year-round to keep your financial knowledge sharp.

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