How to Stay Safe During Tax Season

sergey-zolkin-_UeY8aTI6d0-unsplash

Your tax data is a gold mine for cybercriminals. Your taxes contain all the information they need: Social Insurance Number, Record of Employment, family status, and bank account information. So, it’s increasingly important for users to be aware of the potential risks associated with online tax filing.

Taxpayers must be especially vigilant regarding their financial information, as cybercriminals constantly develop new and sophisticated methods of stealing valuable data. Taxpayers must understand how to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft by following specific safety protocols when filing taxes online. By understanding the risks associated with online tax filing, taxpayers can take proactive steps to ensure their financial information remains secure.

What are familiar scammer tactics?

Phishing: Phishing is a cyber-attack that uses deceptive emails or websites to trick people into providing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal data. Taxpayers are particularly vulnerable to phishing scams because they are often targeted with emails claiming to be from the IRS or other tax agencies. This type of scam seeks to steal financial information and can result in identity theft or financial loss. 

Spearfishing: Individuals need to be aware of the signs of spear phishing to protect themselves. Similar to regular phishing, but it’s hyper-targeted. This means that scammers will take information about you that they find online and use it to make their phishing attempt seem even more believable. 

Common signs include emails with suspicious attachments or links, messages from unknown senders, and requests for personal information. Additionally, messages may contain typos or grammatical errors, which can be a red flag for potential spear phishing attempts. 

Spoofing: Spoofing is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to gain access to your personal data. It involves creating a fake version of a legitimate source, such as a website or email, to trick you into providing sensitive information. 

Stay vigilant

It’s essential to stay vigilant and be aware of the potential risks associated with phishing, spear phishing and spoofing. It can be difficult to spot one of these messages or call as they often look like the real thing. But by being mindful and taking extra steps, such as verifying the source of any suspicious emails or phone calls, we can help protect ourselves from becoming a victim of cybercrime.

Common red flags include emails with suspicious attachments or links, messages from unknown senders, and requests for personal information. Additionally, messages may contain typos or grammatical errors, which can be a red flag for potential spear phishing attempts. 

Protect yourself

  • Create a robust and unique password for each of your tax accounts
  • Enable multi-factor authentication when available
  • Use a VPN to protect sensitive information
  • File your tax return information using a secure wi-fi network.

Follow cyber-safe best practices throughout the year, like monitoring and avoidance; you will help yourself and your friends protect against all scams. Remember, we are here at https://www.cyologylabs.com

With our new app, you can become a part of more than 1,100 users. To learn more about consumer concerns, you can download our mobile app, FRAUDSTER, available on Apple and Android. You can learn more at www.FraudsterApp.com

If you’ve already downloaded the FraudsterApp, click the training icon on the home screen to learn to protect yourself, and in the meantime, be a part of the solution by sharing tips.

Terry Cutler

I’m Terry Cutler, the creator of Internet Safety University, an educational system helping to defend corporations and individuals against growing cyber threats. I’m a federal government-cleared cybersecurity expert (a Certified Ethical Hacker), and the founder of Cyology Labs, a first-line security defence firm headquartered in Montréal, Canada. In 2020, I wrote a bestselling book about the secrets of internet safety from the viewpoint of an ethical hacker. I’m a frequent contributor to National & Global media coverage about cyber-crime, spying, security failures, internet scams, and social network dangers families and individuals face daily.