Conn. officials warn against identify theft

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Attorney General George Jepsen and state tax Commissioner Kevin Sullivan are warning Connecticut taxpayers about identity thieves, as the tax-filing season approaches.

Both are scheduled to appear on Thursday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford for an afternoon news conference.

They are scheduled to discuss how identity thieves can use stolen Social Security numbers to file fraudulent tax returns and the steps that taxpayers can take to protect themselves.

According to the federal Internal Revenue Service, tax-related identity theft often starts when someone's personal information is stolen or lost and the thieves use the taxpayer's identity to fraudulently file a tax return and claim a refund. In other cases, a person's personal information is used fraudulently by a thief to get a job.