WASHINGTON — As tax day fast approaches, the IRS says D.C. residents trying to file their taxes are more vulnerable to scams.
The District is one of three places nationwide that sees the most tax-related identity fraud, says Julianne Breitbeil with the IRS. One of the scams the agency is seeing this year is rooted in identity fraud.
“Taxpayers go to file their tax returns and they receive a bounce back saying someone has already filed using this social security number, and often that is the first indication they’ve become the victim of identity theft,” Breitbeil says.
To protect D.C. residents, the IRS is rolling out a pilot program to provide pin numbers to all residents, even if they haven’t been the victim of identity theft.
“The pin is just another way to add an extra layer of security for taxpayers and if people have filed in the District last year, we’d encourage them to go to our website and request a pin this year,” she says.
Learn more ways the IRS suggests so taxpayers can protect their identity: