| Please note: We are republishing this article due to the importance of this information during tax season. Staying Safe Online During Tax Season and Beyond - Don't become a victim of identity theft! Tax season is open season for cyberscammers. Two of the many ways identity thieves acquire information is theft of documents from mailboxes and via phishing emails that trick taxpayers into giving their information to a bogus entity. This one fact can help to keep you safe: The IRS NEVER contacts taxpayers by email. They only communicate via letter or, with your permission, via the phone. The IRS will never demand payment of a debt via the phone or email, nor will they ever threaten the taxpayer with leins or court/ law enforcement involvement. If you do receive such a call, contact the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.identitytheft.gov to report the scam. What does a fraudulent email look like? If you do receive an email, such as the one below that was received by our office, do not click on any links, just delete it. It is a scam. The following example shows ways to detect a fraudulent email: Look at the email address. o The sender is reflected as service. irs @ virginia.edu. o Virginia .edu is actually the University of Virginia, not the IRS. Look for typographical errors in the message. o In this example instructions was misspelled. Always question the message and the link before you click. o Take a moment to read the message. This one reads "Please follow instructions cause your account needs verification" o In this example, "sign in here" is a red flag. It has a hidden link that takes you to the phishers website, not to the IRS. For additional safety this year, SFSG is sending final 2015 tax returns via secure, encrypted email. This will further protect against identity theft and tax fraud associated with thefts from unattended mailboxes. For information on protecting your identity during tax season and throughout the year, click the following links: Seven Steps for Making Identity Protection Part of Your Routine Fraud and Social Media: Phishing for Data | 