As folks continue seeking gifts for loved ones this holiday season, Mississippians are urged to avoid scams.
The Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners warned taxpayers to approach their holiday shopping with extra caution because scammers are also on the hunt — for their next victim’s personal information.
The consumer alert kicks off the ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week featuring tips for taxpayers and tax professionals to avoid scams and protect their sensitive data. The special week is part of the Security Summit initiative, a joint effort between the IRS, states, the tax industry, and tax professionals that works to protect taxpayers and the tax system against identity theft.
“The holiday shopping season and the fast-approaching tax season create a tempting target for identity thieves and scam artists,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said. “Taxpayers should use extra caution this holiday season to protect their valuable personal and financial information, whether shopping online or clicking on links in email and other messages. A little extra caution can protect taxpayers’ confidential information and reduce the risk of identity theft in the upcoming filing season.”
Abundant scams and rip-offs spotted by officials include ever-evolving and increasingly sophisticated phishing emails and related attacks on the vulnerable. Taxpayers can be duped into unwittingly handing over their confidential tax and financial information. Would-be victims could also get tricked into disclosing their addresses, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or passwords.
A common example right now involves false messages made to look like they’re coming from delivery services. In these scams, victims receive a text or email posed as an official message from a company or business saying a delivery can’t be made along with a link to click to reschedule. But in reality, the link represents a form of phishing that attempts to steal personal information or download malware. It’s a very prevalent scam expected to intensify during the holidays.
Another common scam expected to intensify soon will involve emails pretending to be from the IRS or others in the tax industry. These frequently involve unexpected good news, like a tax refund. But they can also involve variants telling people they have a tax bill or have tax documents available to download.
“People need to be extra careful during the holidays and during tax season,” Werfel said. “Identity thieves and tax scammers are shrewd and take advantage of what is on people’s minds, particularly during busy times of the year like the holidays. Remember, don’t click on anything unknown, even if you just ordered gifts and you’re expecting packages to come to your door soon. Double-check before you click.”
Taxpayers can take the following steps to protect themselves from fraud:
- Shop at online sites with web addresses that begin with the letters “https:”
- The “s” stands for secure communications.
- Also, look for a padlock icon in the browser window.
- Don’t shop on unsecured public Wi-Fi in places like a mall or restaurant.
- Ensure security software is updated on computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
- Watch out and help protect the devices of family members who may not be technologically savvy, a wide range that goes from young children to older adults.
- Make sure anti-virus software for computers has a feature to stop malware, and that there is a firewall enabled to prevent intrusions.
- Use strong, unique passwords for online accounts.
- Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
As always, those who believe they are being scammed are encouraged to report fraudulent activity to law enforcement.