PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin is urging Rhode Islanders to be wary of an Internal Revenue Service scam in which hackers aim to steal identities and file falsified tax returns.
Kilmartin says reports have surfaced that hackers are getting into the IRS “Get Transcript” application to steal personal tax information, according to a press release. About 100,000 accounts have been accessed in total, according to the IRS, but it was immediately unknown whether any Rhode Island taxpayers have been impacted. The IRS says it will notify those who are impacted.
“Consumers’ tax returns include some of their most sensitive personal information,” said Kilmartin in a statement. “Unfortunately in this digital age hackers are always looking for new ways to steal consumers’ identities.”
On June 1, the Get Transcript application, in which consumers can get a receipt of some of their tax return information, was “temporarily shut down” and would remain so until the IRS could “make modifications and strengthen its security.”
Kilmartin offers the following information to consumers who think they may have been affected by the breach:
He also warns consumers to be on the lookout for signs of identity theft, which could include: