Concerned about identity theft, suspicious phone calls, or emails?
Scam Alert (2/26/2013): The Minnesota Department of Revenue is warning taxpayers of a new scam that targets their personal or banking information. An unknown group calls taxpayers and claims to be “Minnesota Revenue.” The callers request additional information from taxpayers, claiming more information is needed to issue a larger refund.
The department never calls taxpayers and asks for personal information to send or increase a refund.
Identity theft
Identity theft occurs when your personal information, i.e. name, Social Security number or banking information, is taken without permission and is used to commit crimes or fraud. Identity theft can be carried out via phone, email, or through bogus web pages.
What to do if you think your identity has been stolen and used inappropriately for tax purposes:
Call the IRS’s Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490, and
Call the Minnesota Department of Revenue at 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094
How to protect yourself from identity theft (as recommended by the IRS):
http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=186436,00.html
What to do if you think your identity has been stolen (as recommended by the Federal Trade Commission):
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft
If you are victim of ID theft, you may be able to have an ID Theft flag on your MN driver's license
http://www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/DriverLicense/DL%20Info/DL%20frame.htm
Suspicious phone calls
If you are concerned about a potentially fraudulent contact by an individual or an organization representing themselves as being from the Minnesota Department of Revenue, please contact: 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094. An authorized Minnesota Department of Revenue staff member will be able to determine if the contact you received was legitimate.
Use caution and NEVER provide personal information unless you are absolutely sure the situation is legitimate. The Minnesota Department of Revenue will never ask you to provide, update or verify personal information through unsolicited emails. Do NOT respond to such emails and contact us with questions or concerns.
Suspicious emails – “Phishing”
Phishing (as in “fishing for information” and “hooking” victims) is a scam involving the distribution of e-mail messages to trick taxpayers into revealing personal and financial information which can be used to steal the taxpayer’s identity.
For recent consumer warnings issued by the IRS regarding suspicious emails and identity theft:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=155682,00.html
How to report phishing, email scams and bogus IRS websites:
http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=179820,00.html
