We are officially in the full swing of tax time. A lot of us have already filed our taxes, and that’s great, but just in case you still have the tax season on your to do list, here’s something to think about—Identity theft, the fastest growing crime in our country, also increases during tax time. Think about it…many of us are filing online, we’ve gathered all of our financial information together in one place. If someone does manage to steal that information, it’s not just your refund you might miss out on—you could have credit cards, auto loans, medical bills, and even warrants issued in your name, all without your knowledge. Scary, right?

The best way to protect yourself from any kind of fraud is to be aware and engaged. There are companies that provide identity monitoring for a monthly fee, and you can also keep an eye on your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. Because you can request a report from three different credit bureaus, you could actually check this every 4 months, and if you see a loan or account open that you don’t recognize, take action immediately. One of the easiest ways to get started is to go to www.identitytheft.gov, which is a website operated by the Federal Trade Commission. Once there, you’ll answer a few questions and a plan will be developed with step by step instructions for you to follow. You’ll definitely be disputing any fraudulent accounts with the credit bureaus and putting alerts on your identity to prevent any additional fake accounts being opened.

Of course, the best course of action is to prevent identity theft in the first place. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you file your taxes this year or any time:

1. Any online financial transaction, from shopping to filing taxes, needs to take place on a secure, private network. Public networks make for easy targets.
2. Malware, viruses, and phishing attacks (fake websites) are often used for identity theft and tax fraud. Make sure you have internet security software in place. Don’t forget to protect your mobile devices as well. Also, pay attention to the web address, looks for https:// at the beginning (the s stands for secure) and trust your gut. If it doesn’t look or feel right, err on the side of caution.
3. There are some new mobile apps this year that allow you to take a picture of your W2 and upload it to make filing easier. Convenient? Yes. But make sure you delete that picture immediately so that if someone gets a hold of your phone, they won’t have a convenient snapshot of your taxes.
4. Did the IRS email you? No they didn’t. If you get an email claiming it’s from the IRS, ignore it. Your financial institution may email you newsletters or alerts about eStatements, but they will also not ask for any personal financial information via email. If you’re uncertain about an email you received, pick up the phone and make a phone call.
5. Be careful with your trash. If you have financial documents, you need to shred them before you throw them away or recycle. That means credit card bills, medical bills, credit union statements, and anything else that has your personal information on it.

It’s an exciting and convenient time to be in the US, but that comes with some added dangers, like identity theft. Taking a few precautions is well worth the extra time when you consider the alternative—months or even years of paperwork getting your identity whole again, not to mention the damage to your finances and credit. Make sure you’re being safe this tax season. I’m Retiring Tina, and I still have some work to do.