Now that the IRS is processing tax returns, the Federal Trade Commission is ramping up its assistance and educational efforts in conjunction with Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, which runs from Feb. 3-7.

In an effort to help both consumers and small businesses like independent and buy-here, pay-here dealerships, the FTC is co-hosting a series of free events highlighting the warning signs of tax identity theft and government imposter scams, ways consumers can protect themselves and what to do if a consumer is a victim of tax identity theft.

The FTC recapped that tax identity theft occurs when a person uses someone else’s Social Security number to either file a tax return and claim the victim’s refund, or to earn wages that are reported as the victim’s income.

Some of the events include:

—The FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center host a webinar on Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. ET on identity theft and tax identity theft. Registration can be completed here.

—The FTC and IRS host a webinar on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. ET for small businesses focused on practical data security practices to protect sensitive business and customer information and imposter scams that target small businesses. Registration can be completed here.

The FTC, AARP, and the U.S. Treasury Department host telephone town hall meetings on Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. ET and 1 p.m. ET, on tax identity theft and government imposter scams. Registration for the first meeting is available here with registration for the second gathering can be found here.