“Tax season is one of the most vulnerable times for individuals, as U.S. mailboxes are flooded with documents filled with sensitive personal data, creating easy opportunities for identity theft,” Abagnale, identity theft expert and subject of the Blockbuster hit Catch Me If You Can, said. “However, there are simple measures you can take to help protect yourself, like shredding old documents and using a certain kind of pen.” Abagnale joins uni-ball® 207™ pens to offer this “signature” advice to help protect consumers against identity theft, during tax season and throughout the year. 

•    For the IRS’s Eyes Only. When mailing tax forms, make sure personal documents and the enclosed check (if applicable) are not visible from the outside. Don’t make it easy for others to see what is inside the envelope. Try wrapping checks in another sheet of paper to disguise what is inside.

•    Protect Your Computer. Today, working online to file one’s taxes is a common practice. Make sure personal computers are protected by a firewall and secure software is installed.

•    Write Wisely. Something as simple as using a certain kind of pen can help protect your identity. Remember to always use a black uni-ball® 207 gel pen when writing important documents, including checks to Uncle Sam. This prevents check washing by trapping the ink into the fibers of the check, ensuring one’s money goes to the IRS and not to a thief.

•    Shred Old Documents. Make sure to use a cross-cut paper shredder when disposing of old documents. The papers that may not seem important could be a treasure if a thief finds them.

•    Secured Boxes Are Best. Always put outgoing tax mail in a secured mailbox, preferably at a local post office location. If mailing from home, never use the “mailbox flag.” This only alerts “street cruisers” that there may be an outgoing check in the mail. Also avoid putting mail out at night, when a pickup will not happen until the next day.

•    Be Smarter Than Sneaky Thieves. When writing a check to the IRS, make the check payable to the Internal Revenue Service. If an individual simply writes the check out to “IRS,” thieves can easily alter the “I” to an “M”, making the check payable to themselves as “MRS” anyone. HBM