Tax time is here! As you prepare your returns this year it is important to remember that it’s peak season for tax fraud schemes. Tax fraud happens when someone uses your Social Security Number (SSN) to apply for your refund or to intimidate you into paying money that you do not owe. Criminals can also use your SSN to get around employment verification requirements or avoid being found out if they are on a list such as a sex offender registry.

Free weekly reports can help you maintain credit health during COVID.

The three major credit bureaus in the U.S. have collectively agreed to offer free weekly credit reports to consumers. Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion will all provide weekly reports through annualcreditreport.com at no charge through April 2021. The goal is to make it easier for Americans to manage their credit during the pandemic and resulting recession.

In the past, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) mandated that people could check their credit for free once per year. You could download a copy of each credit bureau’s report through annualcreditreport.com every twelve months.

The dramatic increase in free credit reports attests to just how unique the situation with the U.S. economy is during this pandemic. There is a range of potential reporting issues that could result in credit damage.

 In the throes of a pandemic, keeping your credit score at a good level might not be top of mind if your job is in jeopardy and you are wondering how to keep the roof over your head and feed your family.

It is important nevertheless to do everything to keep your score intact. Your credit report is important. Blemishes stay on your file for seven years and can affect your ability to get a job, rent an apartment, or secure certain types of insurance. Here are some practical ways to achieve that goal.

In the age of data breaches, phishing scams and fraudsters using technology to steal identities, we have to be so careful with our personal information.  Criminals take the information they steal and sell it on the Dark Web.  Not just once, but, many times over.  What is the Dark Web?  It’s a whole different side of the internet that is anonymously used by criminals to buy and sell stolen identities for illegal profits. Once your identity has been stolen, it can take up to 6 months or longer to fix and cost thousands.

It’s tax time! Have you ever considered that you could be at risk for tax identity theft? Tax identity theft occurs when a thief files a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number and collects your refund. It also occurs when someone uses your Social Security number to earn wages and sticks you with the tax bill. Often, people do not realize they are the victim of tax identity theft until after the crime, when they try to file their taxes.

There are so many things you can do in under two minutes - brush and floss your teeth, make a delicious cheese quesadilla, walk 200 steps, or become a victim of identity theft! These days, identity theft doesn't just come from cyber criminals hacking multimillion-dollar organizations to steal data, it's also criminals gathering data from a simple two-minute phone conversation that could put you at risk for identity theft.