Why should you talk to someone and report a fraud or scam?

No matter what, if you get an unexpected phone call never give any personal information. Hang up the phone and do some research, and call the official phone number to inquire.

If you have a Smart TV or Device, the default PIN code is probably 0000 or something similar. Change it!

Have a good Antivirus software on your computer. This will help detect malicious software from infecting your computer. Once the antivirus software is installed, make sure that it stays on and is up to date.

People use passwords that are often very easy to crack – and often times reuse passwords. People want to use something that is easy to remember so they use their child’s name, a birthdate, a pet’s name, etc.

Anyone can freeze their credit for free, even if your identity has not been stolen.

Credit monitoring and alerts will give you an alert about any activity involving your credit. While this can quickly bring a potential problem to your attention...

A list of tips and tools to use.

Did you recently get a notice that says your personal information was exposed in a data breach? Did you lose your wallet? Or learn that an online account was hacked? Depending on what information was lost, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself from identity theft.

Looking for ways to protect your identity? Here are two options to consider.

Four Signs That It’s a Scam

You pick up the phone and hear a recorded message — a robocall — or a live person selling something. Maybe it’s not who your caller ID said it was. It’s frustrating, and you just want it to stop.

How to stop unwanted calls on your cell or home phone.

Passwords are not enough these days to secure your accounts. Multi factor, or 2 factor, authentication (MFA or 2FA) is an extra layer of security for your accounts.

Periodically we get calls from charities asking for donations. When there is a crisis (e.g., hurricane, flood, tornado, war, etc.), these calls seem to increase. Scammers will take advantage of a crisis to get you to donate money to help during a time of crisis.

The Internal Revenue Service today continued its "Dirty Dozen" tax scams with a warning for people to watch out for predators using tax-related schemes ranging from fake charities to scams targeting seniors and immigrants.

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to avoid "ghost" tax return preparers whose refusal to sign returns can cause a frightening array of problems. It is important to file a valid, accurate tax return because the taxpayer is ultimately responsible for it.

The Internal Revenue Service today kicked off the week with the 5th item on its 2022 annual Dirty Dozen scams warning list, with a sad reminder that criminals still use the COVID-19 pandemic to steal people's money and identity with bogus emails, social media posts and unexpected phone calls, among other things.

As the 6th item on the 2022 "Dirty Dozen" scams warning list, the Internal Revenue Service today cautioned taxpayers with pending tax bills to contact the IRS directly and not go to unscrupulous tax companies that use local advertising and falsely claiming they can resolve unpaid taxes for pennies on the dollar.

Suspicious communications in all its forms designed to either trick, surprise or scare someone into responding before thinking is No. 7 on the 2022 "Dirty Dozen" scams warning list, the Internal Revenue Service announced today, warning everyone to be on the lookout for bogus calls, texts, emails and posts online to gain trust or steal.

The Internal Revenue Service today wrapped up its annual "Dirty Dozen" scams list for the 2022 filing season, with a warning to taxpayers to avoid being misled into using bogus tax avoidance strategies.

Criminals and fraudsters often see disasters as an opportunity to take advantage of victims when they are the most vulnerable, as well as the generous taxpayers who want to help with relief efforts.

The IRS and Security Summit partners remind people to take these basic steps

With the 2017 tax season underway, the IRS reminds seniors to remain alert to aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents. The callers claim to be IRS employees, but are not.

As the new year begins, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to protect their personal and financial information throughout the year and watch out for IRS impersonation scams, along with other schemes, that try to trick people out of their hard-earned money.