ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s tax filing season and many of us will file our taxes online, where scammers wait to try and take your personal information.

Some scammers go after your money directly. They may also steal your identity and get your money later.

“They’ll get something from your mail, or they’ll get something offline. Then, they’ll start to build a profile. Something you want to keep track of always is if there are charges on your credit cards that you didn’t recognize,” said David Swope, the president of the local Better Business Bureau.

Swope added you need to identify the red flags. That starts with your financial statements.

“Be hyper-vigilant about looking at all of your credit card receipts or anything that come in,” Swope said. “A lot of times you go paperless. And then, by going paperless, sometimes you don’t remember that you need to download that and look at it.”

Elderly New Mexico residents are at the highest risk of falling victim to identity theft. With more technology at school, however, kids are increasingly becoming more susceptible to scammers.

How you can protect yourself?

“Number one is, don’t keep documents longer than you need. Keep them in a secure place,” Swope said.

That is why the BBB hosts a shred event each year. There, you can securely dispose of documents containing your sensitive information.

This year’s shred event is on April 20.

Another way to protect yourself? Change your passwords frequently and use strong passwords. This will prevent hackers from getting into your accounts.

For more information on how to protect yourself, visit the local BBB website.