How To Protect Your Tax Refund From Being Stolen

Caitlyn Moorhead

Mon, Mar 31, 2025, 5:01 AM 4 min read

Identity theft isn’t limited to criminals opening credit cards and running up debt in your name — your tax refund is also at risk.

When it comes to filing your return, though the IRS works diligently to counteract fraudulent activity, you are the first line of defense in keeping your data and identity safe.

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Don’t make the mistake of taking action only during tax season or once your taxes are filed. Stay vigilant year-round to keep your personal federal and state tax information safe like you would any checking or savings account.

Then when tax time comes, scammers won’t already have the information they need to file a fake tax return and gain access to your money. Do all you can to protect your tax refund from identity theft.

After your tax preparation and filing, the IRS estimates it will take about 21 days to get your refund if you have money coming back to you. Criminals make it their business to find ways to uncover and exploit your personal information, but you can make it your business to stop fraudulent tax returns from being filed in your name.

Here are some steps you can take to protect your identity, your bank account and your tax refund:

• Step 1: Never respond to an email, text or social media contact claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS only initiates contact with taxpayers by postal mail. Forward any suspicious or fraudulent contacts to phishing@irs.gov.

• Step 2: Don’t give your personal or financial information to anyone who calls claiming to be with the IRS. The caller might threaten arrest or deportation, but don’t be intimidated. Instead, report these calls to the IRS by calling 800-366-4484 or via the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting website.

• Step 3: Protect your personal identity information throughout the year. Always keep your Social Security number and other personal data well-protected to minimize the chances of unauthorized access. When online, use strong passwords and security software, and never click on suspicious links or downloads. Additionally, learn about phishing scams and how to avoid them.

• Step 4: Check your credit report regularly to detect fraudulent activity. Although you are entitled to receive a free copy of each of your credit reports annually from AnnualCreditReport.com, you can also sign up for a free or premium credit monitoring service. Sometimes credit card companies will provide this type of service to cardholders as a perk.

• Step 5: Don’t ignore tax documents that you receive. A W-2 from an employer you didn’t work for can indicate that your identity might have been stolen. If documents also show edited student loan information or unfiled child tax credit details this could also be a red flag.

• Step 6: Don’t wait until the last minute. Instead, file your tax return as early as reasonably possible so that criminals can’t file one first, reports CBS. To help you file as early as possible, go over your prior year’s returns and make a list of all the documents you need to file and create a checklist. Also, keep your receipts throughout the year, so they’re available when you’re ready to file.

• Step 7: Get an identity protection PIN. An identity protection PIN — aka an IP PIN — is a six-digit number assigned to you by the IRS to prevent fraudsters from using your Social Security number on a fake tax return. To get an IP PIN, you’ll need to determine your eligibility and you’ll have to pass the IRS’ identity verification secure access process.