Tax Season is Here!

Tax-related identity theft is one of the IRS "dirty dozen" tax scams. The "dirty dozen" represents the worst of the worst tax scams. Compiled annually, this list demonstrates a variety of common scams that taxpayers may encounter throughout the year. These schemes peak during filing season as people prepare their returns or hire someone to help with their taxes. In order to increase awareness of this threat, the FTC has created Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, January 28- February 1st. We think it's important to create awareness as soon as possible to make sure your account holders don't fall prey as they prepare to file their 2019 taxes this season.

According to the IRS, identity related tax scams occur when someone uses a stolen Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file a fraudulent tax return claiming a refund. This is a great time to remind account holders to remain vigilant in protecting their personal information. Feel free to use this content in your organization's newsletters, blogs, social media platforms, or anywhere account holders might go for information from you, their trusted financial partner.

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Tax Fraud Refund Advance with nxg|PROTECT Premium 1 and Premium 3. Tax fraud may delay your account holder's refund for weeks, or even months. That's why our nxg|PROTECT Premium programs now provide a cash advance for your victims of tax fraud, allowing them to use their tax refund monies while we provide professional identity fraud remediation. Check out our Upgrade opportunities on the last page for more details.

Newsletter Content

(Use this content if you currently have nxg|PROTECT Premium 1 or Premium 3 with IRS Tax Refund Advance as part of your covered account(s). If you do not currently have Premium 1 or Premium 3, please use the content on the next page.)

Tax Season is Also Theft Season

Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses your stolen personal information, including your Social Security Number, to file a tax return claiming your refund. According to the IRS, reversing the damage caused by tax related identity theft can be a frustrating and complex process for victims. In addition, scammers will use tax season as an opportunity to commit fraud, pretending to be the IRS, and asking consumers for cash, or asking consumers to convert cash to gift cards which is an easy ways to transmit cash without the possibility of detection when the card is used. Protecting your identity is critical year-round but especially important during the busy tax season.

As an account holder with a <EMBEDDED_ACCOUNT> you have identity fraud remediation professionals standing by to help restore your identity should someone else file taxes in your name. With this protection, you may also be eligible for a tax refund advance while a dedicated Identity Recovery Advocate assists in completing your remediation, which may take weeks or even months to resolve. While we provide the peace of mind and resolution if a theft occurs, it's also important to protect yourself and prevent instances of tax related crimes. Give yourself a fighting chance and learn the best way to stay protected from the devastating effects of tax-related identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), some examples of scams this tax season are:

Robocalls - Scammers use computers to dial thousands of phone numbers, pretending they’re calling from the IRS, hoping to find victims who respond to their threatening statements. These criminals claim you owe taxes and demand that you pay immediately, usually with a gift card or prepaid debit card. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via phone.

IRS Imposters - These are the scammers who send out emails, pretending they are from the IRS. The imposters may use part of your real identity to convince you that their claim is valid. They will tell you that you owe taxes and demand that you pay up or face prosecution. Or they will ask you to verify that you have paid your taxes, asking for personal information and bank account numbers to obtain data that can be used later to commit identity theft. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.

Refund Thieves - Criminals will gather or purchase your stolen personal information, create a bogus tax return and file the return with the IRS, claiming your refund. When you then file your legitimate return by mail, the IRS will send you a notice or letter saying that more than one return was filed for you. If you try to e-file, the IRS will reject your tax return as a duplicate filing. In either case, you are left with the difficult task of convincing the IRS that it wasn’t you that filed the return and received the refund the first time.

If tax fraud or any other identity theft strikes you are not alone. <FINANCIAL_INSTITUTION> has you covered. A personal Identity Recovery Advocate is standing by to research and resolve any identity theft issue that you may suspect, or evidence of identity fraud that you discover. You also might be eligible for a tax refund advance if someone filed and received your refund using your identity fraudulently. Call us or contact your Identity Recovery Advocate if you think you may be a victim - we are here to help.

{Use this content if you offer any NXG program other than Premium 1 or Premium 3.}

Tax Season is Also Theft Season

Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses your stolen personal information, including your Social Security Number, to file a tax return claiming your refund. According to the IRS, reversing the damage caused by tax related identity theft can be a frustrating and complex process for victims. In addition, scammers will use tax season as an opportunity to commit fraud, pretending to be the IRS, and asking consumers for cash, or asking consumers to convert cash to gift cards which is an easy ways to transmit cash without the possibility of detection when the card is used. Protecting your identity is critical year-round but especially important during the busy tax

season.

As an account holder with a <EMBEDDED_ACCOUNT> you have identity fraud remediation professionals standing by to help restore your identity. While we provide the peace of mind and resolution if a theft occurs, it's also important to protect yourself and prevent instances of tax related crimes. Give yourself a fighting chance and learn the best way to stay protected from the devastating affects of tax-related identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), some examples of scams this tax season are:

Robocalls - Scammers use computers to dial thousands of phone numbers, pretending they’re calling from the IRS, hoping to find victims who respond to their threatening statements. These criminals claim you owe taxes and demand that you pay immediately, usually with a gift card or prepaid debit card. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via phone.

IRS Imposters - These are the scammers who send out emails, pretending they are from the IRS. The imposters may use part of your real identity to convince you that their claim is valid. They will tell you that you owe taxes and demand that you pay up or face prosecution. Or they will ask you to verify that you have paid your taxes, asking for personal information and bank account numbers to obtain data that can be used later to commit identity theft. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.

Refund Thieves - Criminals will gather or purchase your stolen personal information, create a bogus tax return and file the return with the IRS, claiming your refund. When you then file your legitimate return by mail, the IRS will send you a notice or letter saying that more than one return was filed for you. If you try to e-file, the IRS will reject your tax return as a duplicate filing. In either case, you are left with the difficult task of convincing the IRS that it wasn’t you that filed the return and received the refund the first time.

If tax fraud or any other identity theft strikes you are not alone. <FINANCIAL_INSTITUTION> has you covered. A personal Identity Recovery Advocate is standing by to research and resolve any identity theft issue that you may suspect, or evidence of identity fraud that you discover. Call us or contact your Identity Recovery Advocate if you see any suspicious activity.

Social Media Content

This content is available for all programs to use to promote awareness of tax-related identity theft during the month of January.

Jan 1- Jan 28

Post #1: Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your SSN to file a phony tax return - claiming your refund. <FINANCIAL_INSTITUTION> is help to restore your good name in case of tax related identity theft. #ProtectYourReturn #TaxIDTheft #YourProtectionPartner

Post #2: Identity thieves are after more than your credit card. They also pretend to be YOU; claiming your tax return, stealing your money and identity. <FINANCIAL_INSTITUTION> is here to restore your good name in case of theft. #ProtectYourReturn #TaxIDTheft #YourProtectionPartner

Post #3: Filing your tax return early can prevent thieves from stealing your identity and hard earned money! #ProtectYourReturn this year and file now! <FINANCIAL_INSTITUTION> is here to restore your name in case of theft. #ProtectYourReturn #TaxIDTheft #YourProtectionPartner

Post #4: #ProtectYourReturn this year and submit your tax return via a secure internet connection or go old school and mail your return through the post office. #ProtectYourReturn by making sure thieves can’t get access to your personal information. #TaxIDTheft #YourProtectionPartner

FTC Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week - Jan 28- Feb 1, 2020

Post #5 - The FTC is fighting tax related identity theft crimes and so are we! FACT: The IRS will not contact you by phone, text, or email. #ProtectYourselfID by never giving out private info to these scammers. We can help restore your good name if thieves strike! #TaxIDTheft #YourProtectionPartner

Post #6: The FTC is fighting tax related identity theft crimes and so are we! TIP: #ProtectYourReturn by filing early this year! We can help restore your good name if thieves claim your return. #TaxIDTheft #YourProtectionPartner

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