The Piers Project, an internet safety awareness campaign of the Center for Innovation and Wellbeing, offers helpful tips on how to stay safe online.
Did you know January 25 – 29 is also known as Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week? If you need assistance, AARP provides a free volunteer-based tax aide service for older adults above 50.
To some the Internet may seem to be the ultimate tool to manage finances. You can update accounts through online banking, make credit card purchases, and even manage personal investment funds. Although there are many benefits, it is important to exercise caution to stay safe online. With tax season approaching, we’d like to share a few strategies to successfully complete this yearly process.
- Be cautious of requests for immediate payments or a specific payment method (i.e. prepaid debit card or cash) for taxes.
- Legitimate agencies will not ask for your credit or debit card numbers over an email.
- Download the IRS2Go application onto your smartphone or tablet. You can use this application from IRS to check your refund status, pay taxes, watch tax-related videos and receive tax tips.
- To check how knowledgeable you are regarding this topic, take this short quiz!
For more helpful tips during tax season, check out this handout on “Identify Theft Information for Taxpayers.”
The Piers Project is funded by a gift from the family estate of Ellie Piers to benefit the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing’s (CIW’s) ongoing mission of using technology to enhance wellbeing among older adults. Piers lived at Carlsbad By The Sea, a Front Porch retirement community in Carlsbad, CA. Her contribution allows the CIW to address Cyber Security through education, training, and the use of technologies that promote Internet safety, especially in the Greater San Diego Area.
