Connecticut Joins Nationwide Effort to Fight Tax Fraud

Department of Revenue Services (DRS) Commissioner Kevin Sullivan recently announced that DRS has joined a national initiative to protect tax data and combat identify theft.  The Taxes. Security. Together. initiative brings together the IRS, state tax officials, and the tax preparer industry in a coordinated effort to stop tax-related identity theft.

As part of the announcement, Sullivan reminded taxpayers that they’re the “first line of defense” in fraud prevention and indicated several ways in which they can make it harder for identity thieves to steal their personal and financial information.  This includes:

• using reputable security software and keeping it updated;
• shredding old tax returns and documents that contain names, addresses, bank account numbers, and credit card information; 
• being wary of phishing emails that ask you to update a bank account or tax software account;
• being careful about what you post on social media; and
• using a reputable tax preparer.