IRS Touts Same ‘Secret Weapon’ Against Identity Theft That Got Hacked Previously

The IRS temporarily suspended the ‘secret weapon’ back in 2016 amid a security review following the hacking.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, on Oct. 16, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is recommending that taxpayers use its IP PIN tool to protect against identity theft even as the tool was earlier compromised by hackers.

“An easy, but important step for taxpayers to take to protect their information is by obtaining an IP PIN from the IRS,” the agency said in a Nov. 29 press release. “The IRS IP PIN is a special six-digit number available to anyone who has a Social Security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) … The IP PIN helps prevent criminals from filling fraudulent federal income tax returns or stealing refunds using taxpayer’s personal information.”