IRS Warns About New Cyber Scam Targeting Taxpayers

Last month, the United States (US) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a warning to US taxpayers that cyber criminals are increasing their efforts to steal more detailed financial information from taxpayers in order to provide a more detailed, realistic tax return and better impersonate legitimate taxpayers. These efforts include targeting tax professionals, human resource departments, businesses, and other enterprises that store large amounts of sensitive financial information. To mitigate against this threat, the IRS recommended that taxpayers and businesses that store taxpayer information take three steps:

• Use Security Software. Use security software with firewall and anti-virus protections, and ensure the security software is always turned on and can automatically update. Encrypt sensitive files stored electronically, such as tax records, and use strong and unique passwords for each account.