Kilmartin warns of IRS scam

ABOUT 100,000 accounts have been accessed in total, according to the IRS, but it was immediately unknown whether any Rhode Island taxpayers have been impacted. The IRS says it will notify those who are impacted. / COURTESY R.I. ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
ABOUT 100,000 accounts have been accessed in total, according to the IRS, but it was immediately unknown whether any Rhode Island taxpayers have been impacted. The IRS says it will notify those who are impacted. / COURTESY R.I. ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE

PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin is urging Rhode Islanders to be wary of an Internal Revenue Service scam in which hackers aim to steal identities and file falsified tax returns.
Kilmartin says reports have surfaced that hackers are getting into the IRS “Get Transcript” application to steal personal tax information, according to a press release. About 100,000 accounts have been accessed in total, according to the IRS, but it was immediately unknown whether any Rhode Island taxpayers have been impacted. The IRS says it will notify those who are impacted.
“Consumers’ tax returns include some of their most sensitive personal information,” said Kilmartin in a statement. “Unfortunately in this digital age hackers are always looking for new ways to steal consumers’ identities.”
On June 1, the Get Transcript application, in which consumers can get a receipt of some of their tax return information, was “temporarily shut down” and would remain so until the IRS could “make modifications and strengthen its security.”
Kilmartin offers the following information to consumers who think they may have been affected by the breach:

  • Be suspicious of any phone calls or emails claiming to be from the IRS asking to confirm tax return information, social security number or other personal identifiable information. Calls or emails claiming to provide information about the breach may be scams.
  • Monitor banking and credit card accounts daily for suspicious activity, especially small withdrawals.
  • Consider changing email passwords as well as online account passwords.
  • Update antivirus software.
  • Consider adding a fraud alert to your credit report file to help protect your credit information.
    He also warns consumers to be on the lookout for signs of identity theft, which could include:

  • Unexpected mail, such as a bill for a credit card you never signed up for or a member agreement from a bank with which you do not have an account.
  • Credit charges you did not make.
  • Unexpected collection calls.
  • Errors on your credit report or a lower than expected score.
  • Another person’s name showing up on your background check.
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