ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
It is tax season, this year you may want to keep track of your return online to make sure someone else hasn't already claimed it.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, 11,010 victims reported tax or wage-related identity theft in 2005. Four years later, that number rose to 33,774 victims.
The largest volume of complaints came from residents of California, Texas , and Florida.
According to IRS.org, the Internal Revenue Service has taken numerous steps to combat identity theft and protect taxpayers.
Click here to learn more about tracking your return.
IRS impersonation schemes flourish during tax season and can take the form of email, websites, even tweets.
Scammers may also use a phone or fax to reach their victims.
If you receive a paper letter or notice via mail claiming to be the IRS but you suspect it is a scam, check the IRS phishing page at IRS.gov/phishing to determine if it is a legitimate IRS notice or letter.
You can also call IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and report the check stolen if it was stolen.
The dread that surrounds the issue of taxes can be attributed primarily to taxpayers' fear of the unknown.
A surprising number remain confused about basic tax knowledge, preferring instead to transfer full ownership of their returns to a seasoned professional or computer system.
Click here to read more: How to file your own taxes.
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