A week of free webinars and twitter chats is coming soon to help consumers and tax professionals prevent the scourge of tax identification theft.
In the growing crime, people are finding they have to go through a bureaucratic nightmare to submit tax forms and receive refunds because crooks have stolen their Social Security numbers, filed bogus returns and gotten the money themselves.
Here are the webinars and twitter chats coming during Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week Monday, January 30, to Thursday, February 2.
All times Eastern.
• On January 30 at 2 p.m., the Federal Trade Commission, the IRS and the National Association of Tax Professionals will host a webinar on what tax preparers can do to prevent client tax IDs from being stolen. Click here to participate. It is not necessary to sign up in advance.
• On January 31 at 3 p.m., the FTC (@FTC) and the Identity Theft Resource Center (@ITRCSD) will have a twitter chat, #IDTheftChat, where consumers will be able to ask experts about how to prevent the theft and what to do when they become victims.
• On February 1, the FTC will hold two online events to help veterans and their families reduce the risk of being victimized.
The first is a twitter chat, #VeteranIDTheft, at 11 a.m. in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs @DeptVetAffairs.
The second is a webinar by the FTC and Veterans Affairs. Click here for more information.
• Also on February 1, at 4 p.m., there will be a tax ID theft prevention webinar by the FTC and the IRS for small businesses. Check ftc.gov/taxidtheft nearer the event for a link.