It's tax season, the time of year when most of us are hoping to get a healthy tax return from the government. Around 155 million tax returns are filed to the IRS each year, creating a tremendous amount of financial activity during the first quarter of the year.

But with all that activity comes opportunity for crooks looking to take advantage of tax season. With email being a common method for communicating with tax professionals, fraudsters are "phishing", or sending taxpayers fake emails claiming to be from the IRS. Their intent is to steal your money and possibly your identity.

However, the IRS doesn't contact tax payers by email, text messages, or social media to request personal or financial information. "This includes requests for PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts," according to IRS.gov. 

So what can you do to avoid being a victim of phishing? Don't take the bait. The IRS recommends that you look for emails that:

• Pose as a trusted source such as a bank or a tax provider.
• Contain an urgent message (such as "Update your account now!") with instructions to open a link or attachment.

And remember these guidelines:

•  Never download software or apps from pop-up advertising.
• Talk to family about online security for their computers and their mobile devices.

Whether you've fallen prey to a phishing scam or not, you may not know that personal information is compromised until you're notified by the IRS. The IRS recommends being alert to possible tax-related identity theft if:

• You get a letter from the IRS inquiring about a suspicious tax return that you did not file.
• You can’t e-file your tax return because of a duplicate Social Security number.
• You get a tax transcript in the mail that you did not request.
• You get an IRS notice that an online account has been created in your name.
• You get an IRS notice that your existing online account has been accessed or disabled when you took no action.
• You get an IRS notice that you owe additional tax or refund offset, or that you have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return.
• IRS records indicate you received wages or other income from an employer you didn’t work for.

So how else can you safeguard yourself against phishing and identity theft? AAA members save on LifeLock service, which will scan and alert you to identity threats while providing advanced cybersecurity, resolution and reimbursement services.

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