Stay on Guard to Protect Your Money

You work hard for your money to build a nice standard of living and establish a strong retirement. Ensure identity thieves can’t separate you from your earnings and future comfort by following these precautions:

• Protect your personal data, including Social Security, bank, and credit card numbers. Never state them over the phone unless you’re 100% certain whom you’re giving them to.
  • For example, if you call the IRS and an agent asks for your Social Security Number, you know you can trust him or her. However, if someone calls you unexpectedly claiming to represent the IRS, be very suspicious.
  • If you must email sensitive data, use encryption to prevent hackers who earn a living selling information they stole in cyberspace.
• Review your bank and credit card statements regularly and thoroughly. Watch for even small charges that seem suspicious—they may signal the start of a bigger problem.
• You’re entitled to a free credit report from each of the three agencies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) every year. Take advantage of them! You don’t need to order them all at once; request one report every four months to review your status more frequently.
• If you receive your statements in paper format, shred them when you no longer need them. Never simply throw them in the trash.
• Don’t ignore notices in the mail from the IRS. If you haven’t been a victim of a fraudulent phone call from a phony IRS agent, chances are you know someone who has. Ignoring IRS notices will leave you wondering if the caller was real or fake.
• Review your Social Security statement annually for signs of excessive income reported. Sign up online for an account at SSA.gov.
• Read your health insurance statements, looking for claims you didn’t make or care you didn’t receive.
• If you’re paid routinely by a government agency, consider requesting a direct deposit into your bank account, especially if you’re typically not home when the mail carrier delivers.

Protecting your money from criminals may start to feel too difficult to accomplish alone. If you need another pair of eyes to look over your shoulder, you can trust the tax accountant team of Patrick & Robinson CPAs to remain security conscious and proactively guide your safeguarding. Contact us at: Office@CPAsite.com or (904) 396-5400.