As tax professionals, you have a lot on your plate these days… don’t let lack of security take you out of commission. The IRS, the FTA, and tax professional organizations are sounding the alarm and asking you to be especially aware of scammers.

DOR is equally invested in protecting you.

Here are some ways cybercriminals can wreak havoc on you and your clients.

• They can steal data and complete and file client tax returns through phishing emails and unsecured networks.
  • More specifically, they can change the bank account information for your clients’ refunds, thus stealing their money.
• They may present themselves as a new client and ask you to view their wage and income information in an attachment.
• They can also seek to impersonate tax software providers, cloud storage providers, banks and others.
  • Remember, phishing emails generally have an urgent message, i.e., your account password expired, and direct you to a link or attachment.

You are not powerless. There are several ways to keep cybercriminals at bay, including:

• Use a Virtual Private Network to provide a secure, encrypted tunnel to transmit data between a remote user via the internet and the company network. Federal and state government agencies cannot recommend a VPN provider, but you can ask trusted colleagues or search for “Best VPNs” to find a legitimate vendor. Major technology sites often provide lists of top services. Never fall for “pop-ups” on websites for VPN or any kind of security software.
• Use multi-factor authentication to protect your data. A scammer might be able to compromise your login credentials, but it is unlikely that they will have your phone number to retrieve your security code.
• Call new clients to confirm their identity before opening attachments.
• Report suspicious emails posing as the IRS to phishing@irs.gov.
• Review the security measures outlined in Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data.

Stay safe and secure. You are very important to your clients and to us.