Intuit and outside experts say one of the best protections against identity theft is to change all passwords on a regular basis and make sure they are strong. With software, “you’re not putting your personal information on a company’s server,” says David Barton, a managing director at UHY Advisors, an information-security consulting firm in Chicago.Īre there other steps I should take now to protect my information?
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Still, some experts believe that using downloaded software can be safer than online preparation, although far fewer taxpayers use the former. “We apply security across all our products and have added additional fraud-prevention measures for TurboTax Online customers,” she says.Īmong these measures is so-called multifactor authentication, which requires additional information from users before allowing them access to their TurboTax account. Should I proceed as usual using TurboTax software or online services to prepare and file my returns - and which method is safer?Īn Intuit spokeswoman says it is safe to prepare your return online or with desktop software. Your personal information also may have been used to rack up unauthorized charges on credit cards or to open new accounts.
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Victims are entitled to a free copy of their credit report, which they can use to identify suspicious activity and dispute errors.Ĭonsumers also can ask the credit-reporting firms to impose a credit freeze, which makes it harder for a thief to open new accounts. These alerts last for 90 days and can be renewed.
The FTC advises consumers who have discovered theft of their identities to contact the three major credit-reporting firms - EquifaxĪnd TransUnion - to place initial fraud alerts on their credit files. State tax departments are telling victims they should contact the Internal Revenue Service and their state tax authority as well as the Federal Trade Commission. It also will provide affected customers free access to all versions of its software and make available credentialed tax experts to prepare taxes at no expense.
In addition, Intuit says it will provide identity-protection services and free credit monitoring to victims. Intuit says customers can speak with trained identity-protection agents, who will provide comprehensive support and filing assistance, by calling 80. What should I do if I find signs of fraudulent tax filings in my name? One red flag, security experts say, is a change in your direct-deposit account information. Says it is “aware that some customers have been the victims of identity theft, as a possible result of well-publicized data breaches.” It says it believes recent instances of fraud didn’t result from a breach of its systems, based on a preliminary exam conducted with the assistance of independent security experts.Īn Intuit spokeswoman advises concerned customers - both those who have and haven’t yet filed their returns - to log into their TurboTax accounts to ensure that the information is accurate. The incident raises many questions for taxpayers, including whether their personal data is at risk and whether it is safe to prepare or submit returns electronically. The spate of fraudulent filings seems to have largely affected returns prepared using TurboTax, the states say.
Last year, TurboTax products were used by 29 million customers, while H&R BlockĮach assisted with about seven million self-prepared returns. In some cases, the fraudulent state and federal filings include data apparently taken from TurboTax clients’ 2013 tax returns, according to state tax officials and taxpayers.
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