Tax scam season: How to protect your data from common scams in 2024
Tax season is a time of year that many people dread. Not only can filing taxes be a stressful experience, but it can also be the perfect opportunity for scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers.
Phishing emails and phony payment demands are on the rise, and hackers are constantly looking for ways to trick you out of your hard-earned money.
In this episode of Hacker Headlines, Infosec's Keatron Evans provides security awareness tips to help keep your data secure during tax season.
The most common tax scam: Impersonating the IRS
One of the most common tax scams is also the simplest: impersonating the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Scammers will send phishing emails or text messages (also known as smishing) that claim to be from the IRS. These messages may state that you have an unpaid balance, need to update your taxpayer information immediately, or are owed a refund that you need to collect. They may even offer help setting up an IRS account or gaining tax credits. However, beware of their tactics.
Scammers often set up a fake IRS login page and lure you into entering your personal data. Once they have your information, they will use it to steal your identity and potentially cause significant harm.
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How to protect yourself from tax scams
Fortunately, there are two simple rules you can follow to protect yourself from these tax scams:
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Don't trust emails or texts claiming to be from the IRS: The IRS does not send emails or text messages asking for personal or financial information, including account numbers. If you receive an email or text claiming to be from the IRS, it's a scam. Delete it immediately to avoid falling into the trap. It’s likely some variation of a tax refund scam email or tax relief scam call.
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Bookmark the official IRS website: When doing your taxes, always access the official IRS website through a safe bookmark. If you receive a message mentioning a new tax or a payment owed, do not trust any links in unsolicited messages. Instead, log into the official website using your bookmarked link to ensure the security of your information.
By adhering to these two rules, you can safeguard yourself from tax scams and prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. Remember, the IRS communicates official messages through letters and phone calls, never via email or text. Educate your friends and relatives about these scams to ensure their safety.
Stay safe and secure
Tax season can be stressful, but you don't have to let scammers take advantage of you. Take the necessary precautions to protect your data and finances from tax scams and avoid falling victim to identity theft.
If you have any concerns or questions, don't hesitate to contact the IRS directly. Stay safe, stay vigilant, and enjoy a secure tax season!
For more security awareness tips, download our Tax Season Toolkit.
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In this Series
- Tax scam season: How to protect your data from common scams in 2024
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- Human error is responsible for 74% of data breaches
- What is a social engineering attack?
- Biggest cybersecurity mistakes by large organizations
- 4 common social media scams (and how to avoid them)
- From theory to practice: Designing a successful security awareness training program
- Understanding cyberattacks: Types, risks and prevention strategies
- Securing digital frontiers: The importance of information and IT security awareness training
- Optimizing your corporate security awareness training: Strategies and techniques
- What is security awareness: Definition, history and types
- Top 10 security awareness training topics for your employees in 2023 and beyond
- AI best practices: How to securely use tools like ChatGPT
- Connecting a malicious thumb drive: An undetectable cyberattack
- 5 ways to prevent APT ransomware attacks
- 4 mistakes every higher ed IT leader should avoid when building a cybersecurity awareness program
- ISO 27001 security awareness training: How to achieve compliance
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- Deepfake phishing: Can you trust that call from the CEO?
- Fake shopping stores: A real and dangerous threat
- 10 best security awareness training vendors in 2022
- How to hack two-factor authentication: Which type is most secure?
- Malicious push notifications: Is that a real or fake Windows Defender update?
- Free Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) ransomware resources to help reduce your risk
- How IIE moved mountains to build a culture of cybersecurity
- At Johnson County Government, success starts with engaging employees
- How to transform compliance training into a catalyst for behavior change
- Specialty Steel Works turns cyber skills into life skills
- The other sextortion: Data breach extortion and how to spot it
- Texas HB 3834: Security awareness training requirements for state employees
- SOCs spend nearly a quarter of their time on email security
- Security awareness manager: Is it the career for you?
- Risks of preinstalled smartphone malware in a BYOD environment
- The ROI of security awareness training
- 5 reasons to implement a self-doxxing program at your organization
- What is a security champion? Definition, necessity and employee empowerment [Updated 2021]
- Excel 4.0 malicious macro exploits: What you need to know
- Worst passwords of the decade: A historical analysis
- ID for Facebook, Twitter and other sites? Not so fast, says security expert
- 3 surprising ways your password could be hacked
- Fake online shopping websites: 6 ways to identify a fraudulent shopping website
- All about carding (for noobs only) [updated 2021]
- Password security: Complexity vs. length [updated 2021]
- What senior citizens need to know about security awareness
- 55 federal and state regulations that require employee security awareness and training
- Brand impersonation attacks targeting SMB organizations
- How to avoid getting locked out of your own account with multi-factor authentication
- Breached passwords: The most frequently used and compromised passwords of the year
- Top 5 ways ransomware is delivered and deployed
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