MADISON, Wis. – It’s Identity Theft Awareness Week. To help Wisconsin consumers and taxpayers protect themselves from identity theft, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) are partnering to promote best practices for identity theft prevention and share trusted resources.
While identity theft can occur year-round, consumers should take special care during “tax season,” between January and April, to keep their personal information secure. Tax-related identity theft occurs when a consumer’s Social Security number (SSN) is stolen and misused, usually to obtain a job or fraudulently file a tax return to receive a consumer’s tax refund. A consumer might not realize their identity has been stolen until the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or DOR informs them of unreported income or multiple tax return filings.
It is almost impossible to prevent all identity theft, but consumers can lower their risk by placing credit report security freezes and fraud alerts, signing up for federal and state Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers (IP PINs), and regularly monitoring their credit report.
Protecting Personal Information
A consumer is their own first line of defense against fraud. By safeguarding their personal information and only sharing it with trusted sources when necessary, consumers can minimize the risk of that information being compromised, stolen, or misused.
- Avoid storing sensitive personal information on devices like a cell phone or personal computer. These devices, and the data on them, can be fraudulently accessed by scammers or identity thieves. If personal information must be stored temporarily, it should be deleted as soon as it is no longer needed, and the device’s trash/recycle bin should be emptied so the data cannot be accessed.
- Secure incoming and outgoing mail. Install a mailbox lock, have important mail sent to a Post Office (PO) Box, and send sensitive mail by visiting a post office.
- When physical documents that contain personal information are no longer needed, destroy them using a micro-cut shredder.
- Do not share personal information in response to a cold call, text message, or email. If a message appears to come from a legitimate organization, verify their contact details with official sources and reach out to the organization directly.
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