For most of us, a typical phishing scam begins with an urgent text or email from what appears to be a bank. Or the scammer hides behind his fake FedEx notification that there is a problem with the delivery. I haven’t received any messages from celebrities yet.
But who could have imagined being fooled by an email from Drake?
However, this fraud Drake is not an iconic rapper. Instead, it’s a tax software company, and the scammers are impersonating Drake and targeting tax professionals and CPAs rather than ordinary taxpayers.
Tax season, which began on January 29 when the Internal Revenue Service began accepting and processing 2023 federal income tax returns, is a prime time for scammers to launch attacks such as: fake email And the text. IRS expects more than 146 million personal tax return It is scheduled to be filed this tax season, with a deadline of April 15th.
We have entered an era in which large amounts of personal information are exchanged throughout the year. The IRS says fraudsters use Social Security numbers and other He warns that he wants access to the information available to him.
Tax-related phishing scams and spam emails also took the top spot in the annual ranking. IRS “Dirty Dozen” List According to the IRS warning, some scammers use the IRS logo in phishing attempts and make claims such as “Action required: Your account is currently on hold.”
Bottom line: “The IRS initiates most communications by regular mail and never initiates communications with taxpayers by email, text message, or social media regarding bills or tax refunds,” the IRS has repeatedly stated. Masu.
The scary part is that when scammers target tax professionals, they’re after large amounts of data.
Data breaches, identity theft hit record high:Here’s how to protect yourself
How hackers target tax professionals
”complex email scams poses real risks to tax professionals and the taxpayers they represent,” according to a warning issued by IRS Commissioner Danny Wuerffel in early January.
According to the IRS, cybercriminals may be “posing as genuine taxpayers seeking help.” Or impersonating the IRS, state tax department, software provider, bank or credit union.
The text associated with Drake asks eligible individuals to provide Drake with a copy of their Electronic Filing Identification Number Account Summary from IRS e-Services, along with a completed status, for verification. ID numbers are used by tax professionals to electronically file tax returns, and you don’t want to give them to scammers.
However, an increasing number of fraudsters are attempting to steal tax professionals’ e-services account passwords and e-filing ID numbers. In some cases, the IRS may point out in a warning: Scammers pretend to be from the IRS or electronic services.
The IRS said it will continue to review electronic filing identification numbers and disable numbers found to have been compromised. However, tax professionals have been instructed to take steps such as using strong passwords. Can’t open links or attachments From a suspicious email. “Most data theft begins with a phishing email,” he said of the IRS.
Now, even emails from “new customers” should be treated as suspicious.
The IRS says one of the scams targeting tax professionals involves emails posing as a “potential new client” who claims to be “looking for another CPA to help with your taxes.” It warns that it is.
One email read: “Is it safe to say that we are accepting new customers for the 2024 tax season? Can you also help us represent the IRS?”
The IRS said it has received hundreds of reports of these emails purporting to be from new customers at phishing@irs.gov.
“New customer fraud accounted for approximately two-thirds of the 400 business email compromise and business email spoof complaint reports submitted to phishing@irs.gov,” the IRS said.
Of course, the actual number of such fraud attacks is much higher, given the large volume of such messages generated.
Tax experts say such phishing scams are common.
“Scammers are constantly tweaking their scams, coming up with new ways to get people to take the bait,” said April Walker, principal manager of tax and ethics at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. .
She has received emails purporting to be from potential new customers, which often include links. In some cases, the email may include an attachment from her W-2 or last year’s tax return.
Walker knows they are a scam. She doesn’t even prepare taxes as part of her job anymore.
Mr Walker warned that it was previously fairly obvious that an out-of-the-blue email or text message was the first step in a widespread scam. However, scammers often try hard to make their emails seem more trustworthy, such as pretending to be a friend.
New phishing emails may appear to come from a name you recognize, such as a friend, colleague, or a name recognized in your community. This is often due to a friend, colleague, or other famous person having their email account credentials stolen.
How to deal with fraud
Tax professionals need to have a plan of action in advance to respond to a data breach, Walker said. It is essential to act quickly.
Fake emails pose a significant risk, especially when tax professionals download potential clients’ tax information or visit sites containing potential clients’ tax information.
In that case, cybercriminals could collect the author’s email address, password and other information, or load malware onto the tax professional’s computer to gain access to the system, the IRS said. .
The IRS recommends that tax professionals immediately report data theft to their local IRS Enforcement Contact. The liaison officer will notify the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and other agencies. “If reported promptly, the IRS can take action to prevent fraudulent filings in the client’s name and take other steps to protect the client’s tax professional,” the IRS said in the warning. It has said.
You are also warned about fake emails such as: Request for electronic signature; This allows you to digitally sign documents. You may be asked to enter a password or other personal information. Or it may have malicious attachments that can lead to downloading malware. You should be very skeptical about such emails and be wary of fake notifications if you are not expecting them.
Scammers are known to use forged documents where you are asked to sign and add some sensitive information.
Amber Gray Fenner, a registered agent in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who regularly prepares tax returns for individuals and small businesses, has received several phishing emails, as well as emails requesting electronic signatures. “It almost looks legitimate,” he said.
In one case, she stopped, took a step back, and realized that she had given a contact a different email address for the e-signature conversation than the one that received the phishing email.
She said the email, which appeared to have the sender’s name and email address from a real person, had the subject line “Review 8879,” which was an approval form for an electronic application.
“My office does not email these forms, nor do we accept email 8879s from clients,” she said. “They need to use my secure portal.”
Gray Fenner added that he is approving the channel for “customer information and email receipts are not part of that and my customers know that.”
By not receiving information from customers via email, she said, phishing attempts will stand out from legitimate emails that arrive in inboxes.
She says some red flags to consider include: There are hand-drawn wavy lines on the graphic. “Document sent with electronic signature” notification. While this can happen if a user doesn’t properly set up an e-signature account, it’s still a red flag, she said. Any indication that the email was “sent with high importance.”
Mr. Gray Fenner, for the most part, Electronic signature request What she receives comes from people she works with directly, such as real estate agents. And they don’t matter that much.
Also be careful with your email account. If you see something in the emails you send frequently, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a scammer.
What taxpayers should be aware of
Some weeks, it can be dizzying to see a potential scam lurking in every phone call or text message. Scammers are impersonating all kinds of government agencies, not just her IRS.
In January, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning about scammers using the names of employees of federal consumer watchdog agencies to steal money more legitimately.
“We have heard reports from people who have received phone or video calls, especially older adults,” the warning states. Some scammers claim that consumers can participate in class action lawsuits or that they have won the lawsuit but must pay fees and taxes upfront to recover some of their claims. If a consumer wants to confirm whether a call is a scam, he can call the CFPB Call Center at 855-411-2372 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Masu. The CFPB makes no such calls.
Hackers also steal more personal information about you in order to open credit cards, take out bank loans, and file fake tax returns to claim inflated tax refunds. I’m looking for it.
Unfortunately, all of this means we need to be even more vigilant, even when we are busy with work and other tasks.
Verify the sender’s identity by calling the phone number you obtained elsewhere. I don’t want people to call the numbers listed in emails or text messages.
If you receive a request for any updates, there is no need to rush. Scammers impersonate everyone, including health insurance companies, 401(k) plan providers, and mortgage companies.
Tax season is a very busy time for taxpayers and taxpayers, so scammers also try to attack when someone is tired or may be under a lot of stress.
Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompol: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Tonpol.
