This week we will be sharing best practices taxpayers can follow to protect their tax and financial information. Identity theft is on the rise and protecting yourself from such crime should be a top priority as the time and cost involved to repair the damage could be daunting.
These best practices are part of the effort of the IRS, the states and other tax agencies in reminding taxpayers to protect themselves from scammers, hackers and identity thieves.
Best Practices #1: Look for the “S.” When shopping or banking online, always look to see that the site uses encryption to protect your information. Look for “https” at the beginning of the web address. The “s” is for secure. Unencrypted sites begin with an http address. Additionally, make sure the https carries through on all pages, not just the sign-on page. (Source: IRS)