Tax season is in full swing and families throughout our communities are busy organizing their financial documents and preparing to file returns. Unfortunately, this is a particularly active time for scammers seeking to exploit people.

Every year, taxpayers lose millions of dollars due to fraud and there is no indication that scammers will be any less active this season. Members of our community must exercise caution as they prepare to file their taxes to avoid becoming a victim.

So, what can you do to protect yourself?

• Keep your personal information confidential – Scammers use many tactics to try to obtain your personal information, such as your Social Security Number. Do not give your personal information to anyone who does not have a legitimate reason to have it.
• File your taxes as early as possible – This will help prevent scammers from using your personal information to file a fraudulent return.
• Use strong passwords – However you file your taxes, whether it be directly with the IRS or through a legitimate third-party such as Turbo Tax, H&R Block, etc., ensure that you use strong, unique passwords and keep your passwords confidential.
• Know how the IRS will contact you- In most cases, the IRS will initiate contact through regular mail. In some circumstances, they may contact you over the phone, but even then, the IRS would have sent you several notices and letters through the mail. The IRS will never contact you by email, text message, or social media channels. The IRS will never demand payment over the phone or threaten to arrest you or cancel your Social Security number. They will never ask for your personal information, and they will never require a specific form of payment, such as a wire transfer, gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or crypto currency.

Scammers look for any opportunity to deceive you. It is very important that each of us be aware of the dangers these individuals pose to our financial health and take appropriate precautions.

We encourage you to visit www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts for more information on how to identify and respond to Tax Scams.

Report unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related system like the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Should you have any questions about ways to protect yourself, call us at 800.834.0082, send us a digital banking message, or stop into your local branch. If you have received a suspicious communication, please reach out to a Member Service Representative before you share information with any unidentified third party.