LANSING – Michigan’s individual income tax filing season officially has begun and an army of hackers are waiting to steal your identity and your refund, warns the Michigan Treasury Department.
In an effort to protect Michigan taxpayers, the state Treasury Department continues to implement security measures to stop tax-related identity theft. As a result, some individual income tax returns may be selected for identity confirmation.
If an individual income tax return has been selected for identity confirmation, the taxpayer will receive a letter from Treasury asking them to confirm their identity by completing a short online quiz or submitting paperwork. A phone option is available for those with functional needs or are not computer savvy.
After a taxpayer confirms his or her identity, their tax refund will be issued in about a month.
“Don’t wait to file your tax return,” White said. “By filing early, taxpayers can prevent cybercriminals from stealing their refunds.”
Taxpayers who have been recent victims of identity theft are asked to report their circumstances to the state Treasury Department. Reporting identity theft helps thwart cybercriminals who attempt to file returns and steal state tax refunds.
In 2017, increased security measures protected more than 4,000 taxpayers who confirmed their identity was stolen and used to request state of Michigan refunds. This prevented more than $16 million from being distributed to scammers.
To learn more about identity theft, go to www.michigan.gov/identitytheft.
