IR-2016-4: Identity Theft Video Series Available; Special Series to Help Taxpayers Avoid Pitfalls and Stay Safe Online

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent this bulletin at 01/12/2016 02:27 PM EST

IRS Newswire

January 11, 2016

Issue Number: IR-2016-4

Inside This Issue

Identity Theft Video Series Available;

Special Series to Help Taxpayers Avoid Pitfalls and Stay Safe Online

IRS YouTube Video:

Security Summit Identity Theft Tips Overview – English

Taxes.Security.Together. – English

WASHINGTON –In coordination with the state revenue departments and the tax industry, the Internal Revenue Service today released the first in a series of YouTube video tax tips designed to provide people critical information to help protect their tax and financial data.

The videos, part of the continuing Security Summit effort combating identity theft and refund fraud, is part of an ongoing effort to educate taxpayers and provide them tools to stay safe online.

The first of the Security Awareness YouTube videos includes tips from four state officials reminding taxpayers to check online accounts for problems, look for secure sites when shopping online and be careful to avoid phishing scams. The videos will be released daily over the next week.

“These are important reminders for all of us to protect ourselves online,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “These videos reflect the continuing collaborative work between the states, the tax industry and the IRS to protect taxpayers. We are jointly implementing major new procedures to protect taxpayers, but people can help by taking some precautionary steps to help us work to prevent identity theft.”

The six videos feature the heads of several state revenue departments from across the country, including:

Alabama. Julie Magee, Alabama Revenue Commissioner.
Connecticut. Kevin Sullivan, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.
New York. Nonie Manion, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
South Carolina. Rick Reames III, Director of the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
Vermont. Mary Peterson, Vermont Commissioner of Taxes.

The “Taxes. Security. Together.” campaign – a joint effort announced late last year between the IRS, states and the private-sector tax industry -- is designed to raise public awareness that even routine actions on the Internet and personal devices can affect the safety of financial and tax data. The education campaign will complement the expanded series of important new protections the IRS, states and tax industry are putting in place for the start of the 2016 filing season to address tax-related identity theft.

To learn about additional steps you can take to protect your personal and financial data, visit www.irs.gov/taxessecuritytogether or www.irs.gov/identitytheft.

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IR-2016-4: Identity Theft Video Series Available; Special Series to Help Taxpayers Avoid Pitfalls and Stay Safe Online

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Issue Number: IR-2016-4

Inside This Issue