HONOLULU (KHON2) — Tax season can bring a mix of anticipation and dread, which could make you vulnerable to scams.

Tax season scams victimize people every year. The best way to protect yourself is to file your taxes earlier than later, according to officials.

“Filing taxes early allows you to claim or to get your tax refund before some cyber criminal can swoop in and claim it before you can,” stated Gary Suganuma, Director of Taxation.

Cybersecurity experts said identity theft happens more often than you think.

“They can ruin the credit. They can take over all their bank accounts,” said retired Cyber Security Investigator, Chris Duque. “If they get access to medical records, they can use it for extortionary means.”

CEO of Ignite Solutions Group, Derek Gabriel, said all scammers need is a social security number to process hundreds of fake transactions.

Gabriel added scammers will pretend to be Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents through fake texts and phone calls asking for money. Some will even put up fake IRS webpages to fool the public.

“If you’re getting a phone call that says it’s an IRS, it’s 100% a scam,” said Gabriel.

The State’s Department of Taxation said it will never call, text or email individuals for money. To stay secure, officials recommend filing electronically, but warn to make sure it’s the correct website.

“Electronic filing is also more accurate, and your tax return will be processed quicker. Another way to avoid fraud is to enroll in the department’s ID protection program. That way you’ll be notified whenever someone files an income tax using your name and social security number,” stated Suganuma.

The federal tax return deadline is Tuesday, April 15. The state deadlines is Monday, April 21.

The Department of Taxation suggests requesting direct deposit refunds for a quicker return. Paper checks will take several weeks or more, according to Suganuma.