fraud - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to File Your 2018 Income Tax Return

The IRS opened the 2018 income tax return filing season on January 28. Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the April 15 deadline, this year consider filing as soon as you can. Why? You can potentially protect yourself from tax identity theft — and reap other benefits, too.

What is tax identity theft?

In a tax identity theft scheme, a thief uses your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return early in the filing season and claim a bogus refund.

You discover the fraud when you file your return and are informed by the IRS that the return has been rejected because one with your Social Security number has already been filed for the same tax year. While you should ultimately be able to prove that your return is the legitimate one, tax identity theft can cause major headaches to straighten out and significantly delay your refund.

Filing early may be […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:18+00:00February 6th, 2019|fraud, New Tax Laws, taxes, w2|0 Comments

Equifax Data Breach- What You Should Know

The Equifax data breach, which is estimated to have impacted 143 million Americans – nearly half the US population – is considered one of largest data breaches in history. So there is a good chance you or someone you know will be impacted by it. While hackers and scammers have been targeting innocent consumers for decades, this data breach will only complicate matters. But there are steps you can take which should allow you to rest a little easier.

First, you need to determine if any of your information was exposed or has been manipulated. You can do this by entering your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number at Equifax’s website. The site will tell you if you’ve been affected by the data breach. Side note- people have reported that one day it will tell them they aren’t affected, but when they try again later they are, so it would be worthwhile to try it a few times to make sure they provide consistent info.
Whether or not you were exposed, Equifax has set up a free one-year monitoring service called “TrustID Premier” which you can sign up […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:53+00:00October 6th, 2017|fraud, irs|0 Comments

Beware: IRS Scams in Full Swing

Does the above email look familiar? Hope not, because what might look like a legit email from the IRS is nothing more than another phishing attempt by people looking to collect personal information, credit cards and more. The emails contain what may appear to be an IRS email address, along with their logo (easily found online), but the fact is, you will never receive an email like this. The IRS isn’t in the business of sending emails. In the past, some people have also received phone calls from “the IRS” saying they owe back taxes and if they don’t provide a credit card or wire transfer, the police will be called to seize property. These fraudulent “IRS agents” tend to have heavy accents, blocked numbers and attempt to instill fear in those they speak to, in exchange for credit cards, bank account numbers and other information. Once again, that isn’t how the IRS operates. And should you ever receive an email or a call like that, disregard. If you are convinced it’s legit, call your Linkenheimer CPA and we will work with you to resolve any confusion.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:32+00:00February 17th, 2015|fraud, irs|0 Comments

Fraud Letter for Businesses

The addage “desperate times call for desperate measures” applies to many businesses, large and small, during these difficult economic times. These measures can be in the form of reduced hours, layoffs, and business closures. There is another aspect of ‘desperate measures’ that is worthy of discussion: fraud by trusted employees.

We would like to offer some simple, yet effective ways to establish some accounting or internal controls.

Related duties should be assigned to different people. […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:06:00+00:00September 5th, 2012|Advisor, CPA, fraud, Linkenheimer, Santa Rosa, trusted employees|0 Comments