CPA Rachel Daddesio of Montgomery recently provided resources for dealing with Identity Theft and Tax Fraud.
Identity theft and tax fraud are major issues nobody wants to face. However, they are common cybercrimes, and knowing the resources to contact when these crimes occur can save you a lot of money and stress. CPA Rachel Daddesio of Montgomery recently provided resources for dealing with tax fraud and identity theft.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created a major uplift in cybercrimes, including tax fraud, identity theft, and more” Rachel Daddesio of Montgomery said. “This has resulted in major issues for individuals and their CPAs, who are constantly trying to navigate new tax scams and cybersecurity attacks.”
The IRS created its own webpage to help combat identity theft, known as Identity Theft Central. This page offers a variety of resources for those beginning to navigate the hassle of identity theft. This includes resources for CPAs, businesses, and individuals. Rachel Daddesio of Montgomery suggested visiting the “Taxes. Security. Together” resource offered on the site. This page offers an easy-to-follow guide on preventing identity theft for taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals.
Other resources provided by federal agencies include those provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This site offers an invaluable 54-page guide to information security for small businesses. Reviewing this guide could save your small business, whether you’re working to prevent identity theft and tax fraud or are currently navigating such issues. Recommended actions include identifying tax fraud, protecting yourself or your business, detecting issues, responding, and recovering.
“The Federal Trade Commission also serves as an excellent resource for those who are not experts in dealing with these issues, and very few people are experts in tax fraud and identity theft,” Rachel Daddesio of Montgomery said. “The FTC offers the Cybersecurity for Small Business website as well as a specific section providing information on COVID-19 tax and identity scams.”
Rachel Daddesio of Montgomery also explained that the Department of Justice National Center for Disaster Fraud provides a COVID-19 hotline that’s directed toward dealing with identity theft and fraud due to the pandemic.
“The pandemic has created an unprecedented amount of fraud, but the government and private organizations have taken action,” Daddesio finished. “Using these tools can save yourself or your business thousands of dollars and a lot of hassle.”
Daddesio suggested meeting with a qualified CPA or identity theft specialist to discuss how your family or business can be better protected from cybercrimes.