The phishing folks have changed their tactics to accusing
people of tax fraud to get them to click on a malicious link in an email
now. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text
messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.
In related news, the cold calling tech support scams are
making a comeback after a short break. This scam is where a person
claiming to be tech support calls you out of the blue and tells you about all
of these errors they are seeing and try to convince you they need access to
your machine to fix them. They will tell you to look in your event viewer
to “prove” there are a bunch of errors. Windows normally has various
errors in event viewer all the time, so this seems legitimate. Do not let
anyone calling you claiming to be tech support have access to your
system. In addition, if you do a simple tech support google search, don’t
call the first number you see. If you need help, call a reputable company
that you know is in your area. BBB and Angie’s list could be helpful for
this process.
The IRS warns Washington D.C, Maryland, Virginia residents of new phishing scam.
Here is an excerpt from a recent IRS news release...it discusses attempts to scam residents of the National Capital area, but we want to warn our clients of this as well.
IR-2016-55, April 6, 2016
WASHINGTON — As reports of phone scams as well as email phishing schemes continue across the country, the Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers of a new phishing scam targeting Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia residents.
This time, the email scammers are citing tax fraud and trying to trick victims into verifying “the last four digits of their social security number” by clicking on a link provided. The criminals specifically state that this is for tax filers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. As a further attempt to trick residents of the Capital region, the email scam even suggests that information from recent data breaches across the nation may be involved.
“As we approach the final days of this filing season, we continue to see these tax scams evolve.” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “We don’t send emails like this, and there’s no special effort underway for people in the District, Virginia and Maryland. As these criminals shift their tactics, the IRS remains committed to quickly warning the taxpayers who may be targeted. Taxpayers should be on the lookout for these scams.”
Last February, the IRS announced a 400 percent increase of these scams being reported when compared to the same period last year. As the email scams increase, the IRS continues its efforts to protect taxpayers, and has teamed up with state revenue departments and the tax industry to make sure taxpayers understand the dangers to their personal and financial data as part of the“Taxes. Security. Together” campaign.
In general, the IRS has added and strengthened protections in our processing systems this filing season to protect the nation's taxpayers. For this tax season, we continue to make important progress in stopping identity theft and other fraudulent refunds.
Protect Yourself
Phishing is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email or a fake website that poses as a legitimate site to lure in potential victims and prompt them to provide valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this information, a criminal can commit identity theft or financial theft.
If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov. Learn more by going to the Report Phishing and Online Scams page.
It is important to keep in mind that the IRS generally does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS has information online that can help protect taxpayers from email scams.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.
Don’t be fooled by scammers. Stay safe and be informed.
This time, the email scammers are citing tax fraud and trying to trick victims into verifying “the last four digits of their social security number” by clicking on a link provided. The criminals specifically state that this is for tax filers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. As a further attempt to trick residents of the Capital region, the email scam even suggests that information from recent data breaches across the nation may be involved.
“As we approach the final days of this filing season, we continue to see these tax scams evolve.” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “We don’t send emails like this, and there’s no special effort underway for people in the District, Virginia and Maryland. As these criminals shift their tactics, the IRS remains committed to quickly warning the taxpayers who may be targeted. Taxpayers should be on the lookout for these scams.”
Last February, the IRS announced a 400 percent increase of these scams being reported when compared to the same period last year. As the email scams increase, the IRS continues its efforts to protect taxpayers, and has teamed up with state revenue departments and the tax industry to make sure taxpayers understand the dangers to their personal and financial data as part of the“Taxes. Security. Together” campaign.
In general, the IRS has added and strengthened protections in our processing systems this filing season to protect the nation's taxpayers. For this tax season, we continue to make important progress in stopping identity theft and other fraudulent refunds.
Protect Yourself
Phishing is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email or a fake website that poses as a legitimate site to lure in potential victims and prompt them to provide valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this information, a criminal can commit identity theft or financial theft.
If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov. Learn more by going to the Report Phishing and Online Scams page.
It is important to keep in mind that the IRS generally does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS has information online that can help protect taxpayers from email scams.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.
Don’t be fooled by scammers. Stay safe and be informed.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Warning on Tech Support Scams
In addition to the IRS warning, the FTC has issued a warning about official sounding Tech Support phone calls that are actually scams. Here are the details of that article:
Official-sounding calls about an email hack
April 5, 2016
by
Andrew Johnson
Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC
There’s a new twist on tech-support scams — you know, the one where crooks try to get access to your computer or sensitive information by offering to “fix” a computer problem that doesn’t actually exist. Lately, we’ve heard reports that people are getting calls from someone claiming to be from the Global Privacy Enforcement Network. Their claim? That your email account has been hacked and is sending fraudulent messages. They say they’ll have to take legal action against you, unless you let them fix the problem right away.
If you raise questions, the scammers turn up the pressure – but they’ve also given out phone numbers of actual Federal Trade Commission staff (who have been surprised to get calls). The scammers also have sent people to the actual website for the Global Privacy Enforcement Network. (It’s a real thing: it’s an organization that helps governments work together on cross-border privacy cooperation.)
Here are few things to remember if you get any kind of tech-support call, no matter who they say they are:
Don’t give control of your computer to anyone who calls you offering to “fix” your computer.
Never give out or confirm your financial or sensitive information to anyone who contacts you.
Getting pressure to act immediately? That’s a sure sign of a scam. Hang up.
If you have concerns, contact your security software company directly. Use contact information you know is right, not what the caller gives you.
Read on to learn more about tech-support scams and government imposter scams. And, if you spot a scam, tell the FTC.
The team at Bogetto & Associates is committed to helping you plan towards your financial future. Falling victim to a phishing or other scam can certainly set back your progress. If we can answer any questions about this information, please give us a call at 314-858-1602 or contact Peter Bogetto at peter@bogettoandassociates.com.
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