OPSEC tip of the month: Tax season Published Feb. 24, 2015 MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- The February "OPSEC Hot Tip" from the McConnell Air Force Base Operational Security Program deals with protecting your personal information during tax season. Here are the tips: Tax season officially started last month when the IRS began accepting returns. Even if you're not ready to start preparing your taxes, you need to start thinking about protecting your identity because thieves are looking for ways to steal it at tax time. In particular, they're after your Social Security number so they can use it to fraudulently file a return to claim a refund. In 2013 there were 1.1 million cases of tax fraud. So even if you've never had your identity stolen, you still need to keep vigilant. Here are some great tips: Guard your Social Security number. The IRS warns taxpayers not to carry their Social Security cards or any documents with their Social Security numbers or taxpayer identification numbers on them. Also, do not give out these numbers just because you're asked. Monitor your mailbox. Make sure you receive all the W‐2, 1099 and other tax forms you expect to get. If you fail to receive some, contact the company or financial institution that was supposed to send them to find out if and when they were mailed. If you suspect that any of these forms were stolen from your mailbox, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800‐908‐4490 extension 245. Ignore e‐mails from the IRS. The IRS doesn't send taxpayers e‐mails or text messages. So do not reply to e‐mails or messages supposedly from the IRS, open any attachments (which could contain viruses) or click on any links (which could take you to a fraudulent site). Forward all suspect e‐mails to phishing@irs.gov. Be wary of people claiming to be IRS agents. Don't reveal any personal information if someone calls and claims to be from the IRS. Instead, call the IRS at 1‐800‐829‐1040 to see if an agent has a legitimate need to contact you. Store sensitive information in a secure place. Store paper tax forms in a locked home safe or safe‐deposit box. Electronic forms should be stored on a password‐protected or encrypted external drive or disk. Never store tax files or any personal information on a cloud or Internet drive. And use a wiping application before getting rid of old computers that contain past tax information. As a side note... remember to maintain seven years of your tax returns! Be picky about your preparer. Many fraud rings front as tax‐preparation companies and may offer to review returns for inaccuracies, but they can steal your information and redirect your refund. Also be wary of tax services that promise a bigger or faster refund. Verify the status of a preparer's license with the Better Business Bureau.