Cybercriminals are gearing up for the busiest time of the year: tax season.
In honor of National Tax Security Awareness Week, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reminded the public to stay alert during the upcoming tax season. Specifically, they warned taxpayers and tax professionals to watch for phishing emails and text message scams (or smishing). Handling your taxes is often a difficult task, and bad actors may use this sensitive topic to catch your attention or manipulate your emotions.
Tax scams aren’t specific to the US. Around the world, cybercriminals are readying scams targeted at your personal data, building on the $72.8 million that has been scammed from over 2.4 million US taxpayers by IRS impersonators.
Follow the tips below to help stay safe during tax season:
- Know what to expect from your local revenue agency. For example, in the US, the IRS typically contacts taxpayers by mail, not email or text.
- Always think before you click. Cyberattacks are designed to catch you off guard and trick you into clicking impulsively.
- Use extra caution when handling tax documents. For digital documents, use password protection. For physical documents, keep paperwork in a secure location and shred anything that is no longer needed.
Don’t add any more stress to your tax season. To help protect your personal information, stop, look, and think.
Interested in learning more about information security? Don’t miss our “Security Spotlight” from SouthEast Bank Chief Information Security Officer Joe Littleton:
For more tips, be sure to keep watching the “Security Spotlight” YouTube playlist!
