Take Steps During Tax Season to Avoid Identity Theft

By Aleshia Altizer

Forbes recently posted an article warning about the risks of identity theft this tax season. W-2s and other tax forms being mailed out this month will contain information like income, Social Security numbers and bank account numbers: Valuable information that can lead to identity theft if intercepted by thieves.

The article lists some important steps that consumers can take to make sure their tax forms arrive safely:

1. If you’ve moved in the past year, make sure your address is current with companies you’ve worked for, don’t just rely on the Post office to forward your mail.


2. Have a secure lockable mailbox or a Post Office box.


3. Contact the Post Office and have them hold your mail if you’ll be away for more than one night.


4. Make sure never to leave mail in your mailbox overnight.

A quick Google search, shows that mailbox thefts are ongoing in many states, so stay vigilant to ensure your information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

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Aleshia Altizer is a Corporate Writer at Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Pre-Paid Legal's signature products, including the Life Events Legal Plan and Identity Theft Shield, serve more than 1.5 million families in North America.