INDIANAPOLIS — Proactive efforts by the Indiana Department of Revenue to prioritize its tax refund fraud and identity theft prevention program has resulted in a reduction in increased fraud attempts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state said Thursday.
In a news release from the Indiana Department of Revenue, the state said on a single day — April 8 — the fraud team identified and stopped $275,000 in individual tax refund fraud. The DOR also said team members identified several tax preparers who were targeted by fraudsters and assisted by putting preventive measures in place to safeguard their information.
"Regardless of the time of year or volume of attempts made by scammers, DOR is 'business as usual' for our best-in-class identity protection and fraud prevention team," DOR Commissioner Bob Grennes said. "Unfortunately, while Hoosiers are dealing with the current health crisis, bad actors are attempting to increase their scam activity including refund fraud. We advise all customers to be extremely vigilant when it comes to securing their personal or financial information."
The DOR's tax fraud program has stopped over $140 million in fraud since its inception in 2014 by detecting fraud before tax returns enter the financial system, resulting in less fraudulent refunds being processed and paid.
Customers with tax questions can call the customer service team at 317-232-2240 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
