Those that know me know I’m a stickler for security. I keep our doors locked even when we’re home during the day. I do the final sweep before we go to bed at night’¦ as Jeanine has been known to leave the garage door up on more than one occasion. Because of this and my constant nagging, she has dubbed me ‘œHead of Safety’ in our household. This includes disaster preparedness. Preventing identity theft also falls into this category. I take it all very seriously.

For example, consider my shredder: I pretty much shred anything that has our name and any type of identifying number on it. I recently got behind in my shredding duties and paid the mobile shredder to stop by. It was the best $75 I’ve spent so far this year. It’s the little things that make us happy, right?

In the current economic climate, we have enough to worry about. Why would anyone want to let identity theft add to our financial woes when it’s very preventable? With the 2009 tax season upon us ‘“ a time of year when millions of Americans submit sensitive personal financial information to the IRS ‘“ data security experts at Kroll Fraud Solutions have put together some practical advice to help you keep your personal data safe when filing this year.

Below, Jeremy Miller, Director of Kroll’s Investigation and Restoration Center, offers some important advice that every consumer should know about protecting their personal information during tax season. At Kroll, Miller oversees a highly skilled team of veteran licensed investigators who meet regularly with IRS agents to stay apprised of emergent tax fraud issues ‘“ bolstering the team’s specialized work supporting breach victims and restoring individuals’ compromised identities to pre-theft status.   These are his words’¦

Before you file’¦

  • Take advantage of the resources available to you through the IRS. Dealing with identity theft became much easier in 2009 thanks to a wealth of new resources from the IRS.   For more information on the IRS programs in place to help you keep identity thieves at bay, read ‘œTen Things the IRS Wants You to Know About Identity Theft.’
  • Beware of phishing schemes. To avoid what has become an increasingly common method of tax-related identity theft, consumers must remember one simple fact: the IRS never contacts consumers by e-mail or phone to request sensitive personal information.
  • Phishing schemes take a variety of forms, many of which utilize current news or trends to lure you into thinking their email, letter or call is real. Visit the IRS Web site for information on the latest scams drawing attention.
  • If you receive a phone call or email that you suspect may be a phishing scam, file a complaint with the Anti-Phishing Working Group and contact the IRS immediately [phishing@irs.gov] .
  • Avoid shopping mall kiosks or pop-up preparers who offer to assist you with tax preparation.     Considering the amount of sensitive personal information involved in the tax preparation process, you probably don’t want to hand over your files to someone whose experience and background are unfamiliar to you.   Ask a trusted friend to introduce you to his/her tax preparer or consult a local CPA association for trustworthy members.
  • Planning to file electronically? Obtain a list of all authorized e-file providers registered with the IRS.   According to the IRS, more than 86 million taxpayers filed taxes online in 2008, up 12 percent from 2007. If you’re a part of the latest trend, be sure you are using a credible service provider.

When you’re ready to submit’¦

  • Avoid sending data over a wireless network. If not properly secured, data can easily be picked up by an uninvited party.
  • Never prepare or submit tax returns on public computers, which can contain malicious software, such as ‘œkeylogger’ spyware, which records your every keystroke.   Preparing your taxes on a public computer also increases your vulnerability to ‘œshoulder surfers’ ‘“ individuals who look over your shoulder to observe what you are doing and, more importantly, collect the sensitive data you’re entering.
  • Never put your completed claim in an unlocked mailbox for pickup. Take the claim directly to the post office. You might also consider delivery tracking to be certain your information reaches its destination safely.

April 15 and beyond’¦

  • Waiting for your tax rebate? Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery.   The longer your mail sits in an unsecured mailbox, the greater your chances of it falling into the wrong hands.
  • You may also choose to have the IRS deposit your tax rebate directly into your bank account, further minimizing the risk of theft.
  • Only keep a record of your tax claims as long as necessary. After all, thieves can’t steal what you don’t have. Whenever possible, purge and shred any records or paperwork once the need for them has expired. Suggested guidelines for individual recordkeeping are available through the IRS.

About Kroll
Kroll, the world’s leading risk consulting company, provides a broad range of investigative, intelligence, financial, security and technology services to help clients reduce risks, solve problems and capitalize on opportunities. Kroll Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE: MMC), the global professional services firm.

Kroll began providing identity theft solutions in 1999 and created its Fraud Solutions practice in 2002 in response to increasing requests from clients for counsel and services associated with the loss of sensitive personal information, and related identity protection and restoration issues facing organizations and individuals.

Since then, Kroll’s Fraud Solutions clients have included Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and government entities dealing with healthcare, financial services, insurance, consumer service, and any activity involving the collection and use of personal information. Kroll’s Fraud Solutions team presently serves over 10,000 businesses and millions of individual consumers.   For more information, visit: www.krollfraudsolutions.com.

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