Local authorities are looking to explain how a possible scam involving individuals purporting to be with the Indiana Department of Revenue confirms the identity information from every individual income tax return filed.
Amanda Stanley of the state Department of Revenue’s says it appears the local complainant may have received an actual Identity Confirmation Letter from the department.
Stanley says since its inception in 2014, the department’s Identity Protection Program has stopped more than $100 million in fraudulent tax refund attempts. She says the goal of the program is to not only to stop fraud, but to deter fraud in the state of Indiana.
Stanley says some taxpayers will receive a letter from the department asking them to take the Identity Confirmation Quiz. She says it’s important that taxpayers who receive this letter confirm that the names and address information at the top of the letter matches an Indiana income tax return they recently submitted.
If the information is not correct or the taxpayer did not file a tax return for the indicated year, he or she should not complete the Identity Confirmation Quiz, but rather call the department at the number indicated on the letter.
Taxpayers whose information is correct must complete the Identity Confirmation Quiz. It contains three to four questions for which only the taxpayer would know the answer.
Each taxpayer selected has two attempts to take the quiz via the department’s secure website. After successful completion of the quiz, the taxpayer should receive his or her refund on time, within 14 days if electronically filed and within 12 weeks if filed by paper.
Those who do not pass the quiz in two online attempts will be asked to contact the department at a special number where they have an additional chance to take it via telephone.
Stanley says those selected to take the quiz are not suspected of committing identity theft.
