The IRS reminds taxpayers they can get extra protection starting in January by joining the agency's Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) program. The IP PIN is a six-digit number assigned to eligible taxpayers to help prevent the misuse of their Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number on fraudulent federal income tax returns. The IRS has made recent changes to the program to make it easier for more taxpayers to join.

Unemployment compensation fraud was one of the more common identity theft schemes that emerged in 2020 as criminals exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic impact.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Inspector General estimated approximately $89 billion in unemployment compensation was lost in 2020 due to fraud.

Internal Revenue Service urges those entities with Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) to update their applications if there has been a change in the responsible party or contact information.

All Tax Payers are now eligible to voluntarily get an Identity Protection PIN that will help protect you from tax-related identity theft. The IP PIN is a 6-digit number assigned to eligible taxpayers. It helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns with stolen Social Security numbers (SSNs). An IP PIN helps the IRS verify taxpayers’ identities and accept their electronic or paper tax returns for processing.