Avoiding phishing scams

August 12, 2020

The IRS is warning tax professionals to be on guard for phishing scams that try to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, relief payments and increased teleworking.

The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry are urging tax firms to review and heighten their data protection plans this summer as cybercriminals increase efforts to steal client tax information.

Phishing emails generally have an urgent message, such as an expired password notification. They direct you to an official-looking link or attachment, which may lead you to a fake site and request your username and password. These fake sites may look similar to trusted sources like the IRS.

Taxpayers and tax preparers can forward suspicious emails posing as the IRS to phishing@irs.gov.

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