It’s that time of year again! As we get deeper into tax season, we’ll see an uptick in tax-related scams. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel says, “People should be wary and avoid sharing sensitive personal data over the phone, email or social media to avoid getting caught up in these scam.” Here is some information on what to keep an eye out for as well as some resources from the IRS.
Phishing email is still the biggest attack avenue, as it is cheap and easy, but text and phone scams are still quite popular. Use the SLAM (Sender, Links, Attachments, Message) method to assess any suspicious emails:
- Check the Sender address
- Hover over any Links to see if they match the text
- Be wary of Attachments
- Check the Message. Red flags are a sense of urgency, consequences if something isn’t immediately done, or requests for payment in odd forms
The IRS compiles a list of its “Dirty Dozen” scams each year. It can be accessed here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen. They also have a webpage dedicated to specific tax scams and consumer alerts: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts. It is a good place to learn about common scams and how to identify them. And for the low tech scams, here is a page dedicated to helping you determine if the IRS is really on the phone or knocking at your door: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-know-its-really-the-irs-calling-or-knocking-on-your-door.
The IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.
- Demand that taxes be paid without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Call you about an unexpected refund.
(taken from their website: http://bit.ly/2AQf8cF)
The IRS is also warning tax professionals about being targeted by scammers. Scammers are posing as tax software providers and requesting EFIN (electronic filing identification number) documents from tax professionals under the guise of a required verification to transmit tax returns. The thieves then attempt to steal client data and tax preparers’ identities, creating the potential for them to file fraudulent tax returns for refunds.
Sign up for our monthly Timely Tech Tips: https://bit.ly/CBTech-Tips. For weekly tips like these, follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2sCMb30 LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/375e6HB Twitter: http://bit.ly/3ajca0n