Tax Refund Fraud…Its tax season again. We worry about “the tax man.” In today’s world, we also must worry about a new tax danger, Tax Refund Fraud. Let me share with you some thoughts about Tax Refund Fraud from several articles on the Tax Refund Fraud. Learn the ways you can protect yourself.
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine – let’s call her Mallory – got an unsettling call from her accountant. The accountant had been preparing Mallory’s taxes, hit “Send” to e-file the finished return, and it was rejected. Someone had already filed a tax return using Mallory’s Social Security number. She’d been a victim of tax identity theft.
The accountant called the IRS, but they wouldn’t talk to her. Mallory called and was directed to the fraud department. While she was on hold, she made more calls: one to a friend at the FBI, another to the FTC and the last one to me.
Mallory had just become a statistic. The aftermath of tax identity theft is messy, and since 2012, the number of victims has been on the rise. Millions of Americans who expected refunds—often desperately needed to make ends meet—have waited the better part of a year to get their money back – and even then only after they had traversed a paper labyrinth to prove to the IRS they had been the victims of a crime.
Tax Refund Fraud–What You Can Do to Protect Your Tax Identity
Scott Mitic, CEO of TrustedID, an identity-protection company, offers the following suggestions on how to protect your identity in tax related matters.
Be careful about who does your taxes. Choose someone who has good references from family and friends.
Don’t carry your Social Security card in your purse or wallet.
Did you know that majority of identity thieves are from people you know? Don’t leave personal information lying around the house where guests, nannies, housekeepers or construction workers might find it.
The internet is a great place for identity thieves to gather information. Don’t offer your birth date and the city of your birth on your Facebook page. These bits of information can be pieced together with others, such as your Social Security number, your address and your mother’s maiden name, to form an identity.
Never put your tax forms in your mailbox. Put them in a postal box or hand them to a postal employee. E-filing is the most secure way to file, as fewer people handle the data.
Conclusion
The tips above will help you avoid identity theft associated with tax refunds. If you would like more preventive tips, go to irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection. Be safe and keep your tax refunds safe!
By now you have probably hear about the Heartbleed bug that may have compromised your online identity. You may have even been contacted by online services like Google, Yahoo, or governmental bodies explaining any affects Heartbleed has on their systems.
In a nut shell, Heartbleed is a bug that allows your personal information to be stolen online. We have physical tools to secure our property and valuables from thieves. We can lock our doors and windows. We can uses sensors and video cameras to keep our belongings safe.
Protecting our digital identifies is far more difficult. It can take years before your stolen identify is uncovered. By then the damage has been done. It can take many months to resolve the financial issues caused by a stolen identity.What can you do about the Heartbleed bug? Here are few suggestions.
When large providers like Google and Paypal send you information about the Heartbleed bug make sure you follow their directions. Some credit card companies are now automatically doing a monthly credit check on your accounts to catch stolen identity quickly. You can use online programs to detect if any of your passwords have been accessed. Continue to check your bank and credit card statements on a monthly basis.
Below is a short video that provides additional actions you can take to make your personal information secure from the Heartbleed Bug.
5 Testimonials from Long Term Customers…My mother always told me, “Never brag. Let your actions speak for you.” In business, repeat customers say a great deal about the quality of a business. Here are 5 customer testimonials about Protection Concepts and what it means to these long term customers.
Great monitoring service, Great company. I have used Protection Concepts for the last three homes that I have owned and the response time of the monitoring company they use is great. (They have all been false alarms Thank GOD.) The installers have all been professional and I think I have met every installer. Good company and great prices. Angelsent.
Great Customer Service and Friendly Personnel are always helpful, knowledgeable and truthful. The product and service have been great. Been using them for almost 10 years. SatisfiedCustomer 7677.
Best Home Security System. I was referred to Protection Concepts in 2008 by a friend. I was nervous at first to give it a try, but I’m so glad I did. I love this security company. “It’s the best.” I have haven’t had any complaints. Not only to they have a great response time, but their monthly fee is amazing. Once again, I must say, “I love this company,” And would recommend their services to any and every one in need. Cbrown11.
Continuous Great Service. I’ve been with Protection Concepts for over 10 years and would not think of going anywhere else. I would recommend this company to anyone seeking a reliable security company. Smokes.
Much better than my old alarm company! Great customer service. Installation was right on time, very professional and they did a great job! I would recommend Protection Concepts. Concepts NO.
Give us a call so you too can experience the quality and security from Protection Concepts.
The Myth of Local Monitoring…Having a reliable monitoring service is the heart and soul of your home security system. You want a monitoring network that provides you with reliable, quick and accurate responses to your alarm system.
Some people believe local monitoring is better. It’s a nice sales pitch. It’s also a myth that local monitoring is better. It’s not the location of the monitoring service; it’s the quality of the monitoring operations services that makes the difference.
Monitoring Expertise
At Protection Concepts we use Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) for our monitoring services. CMS is the largest alarm monitoring company in the United States. It works with over 4000 alarm companies and 900,000 customers. Monitoring is their expertise.
Monitoring Training
Before a CMS monitoring professional can begin working, they receive weeks of intensive training. They are tested, retested and must be certified before they can sit behind a desk to monitor your alarm system.
Monitoring Technology
As a national provider of monitoring services, CMS employs the leading edge technology from UTC, AT&T®, Verizon®, Honeywell® and others.
Monitoring Services
Whether you have monitoring services responding to fire or security issues; Personal Emergency Response Systems; two way voice or remote video, you get prompt and courteous responses.
Conclusion
Smaller, local monitoring services cannot provide the expertise, the technology nor the training that CMS brings to your home security system from Protection Concepts. Don’t be fooled by the local label.
Home Safety Tips While on Vacation… You’re planning your summer vacation. It will be a great time for the children and leave behind your normal cares and work duties. Based on statistics from the Department of Justice most home burglaries occur during these summer months.
What can you do to protect your home security while you are on your summer vacation? Here are some Home Safety Tips While on Vacation.
Preparing the Outside of Your Home
Start by making sure your windows and doors are locked before you leave.
Either stop delivery or have a neighbor retrieve newspapers, mail or any packages you are scheduled to receive.
If you are going to be gone for a longer time, have someone cut your grass so it does not appear that you are on vacation.
Inspect gutters and downspouts. They must be clear of debris to drain water properly?
I know of one neighbor whose teenager parked their car in the driveway of a neighbor on vacation to suggest that the home was occupied.
Check your sump pump to see if it is working properly.
Store deck furniture so that it does not get blown around in a storm.
Preparing the Inside of Your Home
Keep valuables out of sight so that the bad guys cannot look through your windows and decide your home is a good place to rob.
Put lights or a radio on a timer to keep the allusion that some in home in your house
Be careful about using social media to share with friends your vacation plans. Burglars use social media to identify potential homes to rob.
Do not advertise your vacation on your home phone answering machine.
Unplug unnecessary electronics and electrical appliances. A lightning strike could do real damage to these and your home while you are on vacation.
Have a trusted neighbor visit your home every couple of days to make sure everything is ok within the home.
Conclusion
Follow these Home Safety Tips While on Vacation and you will have peace of mind to enjoy your family’s summer vacation.
Happy birthday USA Adams’s prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.[7]
Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.[8][9][10][11][12]
Coincidentally, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but another Founding Father who became a President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831, thus becoming the third President in a row who died on the holiday. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only U.S. President to have been born on Independence Day.
Happy Birthday USA…Please join with me in wishing a happy birthday to the USA on this 4th of July. Enjoy the video by Lee Greenwood and the birthday wishes he has for the USA. Enjoy the holiday celebration.
