Picture this scenario. It’s a week until the April 15 filing deadline. You’ve put off doing your income taxes until the last minute. As you scramble to get your papers together, you suddenly get a call on your cell phone from an unfamiliar 1-800 number. The caller gruffly states they are from the IRS and if you don’t pay what you owe today, your social security number will be invalidated. In order to pay, the surly caller asks you to provide your bank account number and verify your social security number. Wait a minute, you think. Why are they asking for my SSN if they’re saying they’ll invalidate it? This sounds suspicious. You tell them to pound sand and hang up.
The above scenario of “invalidating an SSN” is actually one of the latest scams criminals have concocted to scare confused taxpayers into yielding private information that can lead to drained bank accounts and property theft. Being aware of such scams and other thieving tactics will help save you and your loved ones from lost funds and financial hardships.
Your Security is Showing
Keeping your computers and mobile devices secure should be a given, especially if you utilize banking or payment applications on the internet. Consider these tips:
- Create strong passwords with case sensitive letters and symbols.
- Install security software & add an extra protection layer.
- Back up your files on an external hard drive or a cloud service.
Phishing scams and malware
The internet has become the main form of communication. Naturally, scammers find ways to leverage it to trick taxpayers. Here are some scams to look out for:
- Emails posing as trusted sources like a bank or a tax preparer. They may provide links with URLs that look odd. Don’t click them immediately. Hover over them with your cursor to see if the URL directs to the purported website.
- Avoid immediately downloading any software in those suspicious emails.
- Verify the site you’re using is secure and the correct site. Look out for typos in the web address bar and make sure it is encrypted as “https.” Scammers may set up fake sites to look like login pages where you can accidentally give your login information to thieves.
The IRS does not call taxpayers with threats of jail or invalidating SSNs nor do they send unsolicited emails or request sensitive information online. If you encounter such events, report scam emails to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov and scam calls at www.tigta.gov.
As a CPA firm beholden to our clients and the public at large, MiklosCPA believes in sharing useful information, like taxpayer security, with our readers. Check out our social media for periodically posted useful taxpayer tidbits. Based in California, MiklsoCPA supports business clients of emerging firms with their accounting and tax needs. If you wish to learn more of how our services can help YOUR business, please contact us.