Although the tax season is over, tax
scammers remain active. During tax season, scammers mostly look to steal tax
information to file fraudulent returns and claim huge refunds. After the tax
season, on the other hand, they may be after your tax and financial information
to access your bank accounts, or dupe you into sending money to them using wire
transfer, debit card or credit card. Scammers use false identities as masks to
hide their real identity and purpose.
To stay protected from tax scammers at all
times, consider these tips:
• Never
carry out unsecured tax or financial transactions on websites that might be
fraudulent. Remember to type the correct URL when visiting websites where you
need to enter personal, tax or financial information. When using free Wi-Fi in
hotels, airports or cafes, never reveal your account information or passwords,
and be sure to log out of any active sessions.
• Do
not input any sensitive information on a computer you share with your children.
Your children may inadvertently share this information with others or allow
malware to steal information from your computer.
• Never
click on links or attachments in unsolicited emails, especially if they seem to
be from the IRS or a reputable financial institution. Instead, contact the
institution by phone or using their website by typing in their URL, and not by
clicking on the link in the email.
• When
entering confidential information on a website, always check the padlock symbol
and make sure the URL is http secure (https).
• Always
use a firewall to protect your computer from malware and viruses. Scammers have
been known to use malware to extract sensitive information from computers.
• Before
sharing any personal, tax or financial information, always check the
authenticity of the recipient using multiple sources.