Tax season can make identity thieves’ drool at the mouth. Experts say they swoop in quickly and quietly this time of year and the victims are oblivious to what has happened until they try to file their own returns.

Using stolen Social Security numbers, the thieves make up incomes and employee details to file returns, according to the IRS. As long as they file first, the IRS assumes the returns are legitimate until they hear from the victim.

Although this scam isn’t new, fraud specialists say the rise in popularity of electronic filing and direct deposit is fueling the deception. Sending out the funds electronically makes the crime more anonymous, said Bill Kresse, director of ‘St. Xavier University’s Center for the Study of Fraud’ and Corruption.

“There is no picking up of a physical check or walking into a bank where they can be photographed,” Kresse said.

The thieves can then transfer the money from bank to bank across the country, making it increasingly difficult to track, he added. Sometimes thieves with access to returns change bank routing numbers, and the filers refunds get sent to the fraudsters accounts.

Scammers get Social Security numbers in two ways: theft and/or trickery. Stealing a wallet that contains a Social Security number or stealing the number off documents, such as a credit card or insurance application, are among the easiest practices.

The IRS says identity fraudsters also trick people into handing over their information through emails promising fixed tax-refund amounts, bogus Web sites offering free e-filing and even payment for filling out an online customer service survey. All are aimed at discovering personal finacial information, which the scammers then use to file electronic tax returns.

In 2008, the IRS opened an Identity Protection Specialized Unit specifically to handle tax-related identity theft. The system is set up to raise red flags, she said, but some fraudulent claims make it through.

If this happens to you file a police report, and the next step is to try to resolve your case with the IRS and contact its Identity Protection Specialized Unit to complete an affidavit.