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tax guide
5 tips to avoid email scams this tax season
Email phishing scams and attempts to
steal your information are on the rise
as the April 15 tax fi ling deadline nears,
so how can you avoid falling victim to
one of these schemes? Phishing attempts
have become much more sophisticated
in recent years, so it’s even more important
to be vigilant in order to protect your
personal fi nancial information. In the
month of February, Microsoft security
experts saw an average of 300,000 phishing
encounter attempts across its browser
platforms - every single day. Th ese
attempted scams will only increase as tax
day approaches.
Here are a few simple tips to avoid falling
prey to phishing scams.
1. Watch for suspicious emails. Be suspicious
of any unexpected emails, and
avoid clicking on links or attachments,
especially when the email seems “off ” to
you, or unexpected, like an email from
a tax preparation service, your credit
card company or a fi nancial institution.
Although the email may appear to be
genuine on the surface, if it is not part of
your regular interactions with the company,
it’s worth further scrutiny. You’re
always safer using the direct URL of the
company and accessing your account
from there to process any transactions
or to check your account, not by accessing
from a link inside an email. Also,
any emails claiming to be from the I.R.S.
are most likely bogus, as the Internal
Revenue Service does not initiate interactions
via email, phone, social media
or text, and uses the U.S. Postal Service
for nearly all communications with taxpayers.
2. Carefully inspect URLs. You can
simply hover over links within the suspicious
email with your cursor (without
clicking it) to view the URL. See if it actually
goes to the website where it claims to
direct you. URL shorteners provide convenience,
but they can sometimes make
the inspection diffi cult. When in doubt,
use your search engine to fi nd the correct
company URL and go from there.
You can also hover over the email sender’s
email address to see if it matches the
sender you’re expecting.
3. Be wary of all attachments. If you
haven’t just made a purchase for tax processing
soft ware or used a tax preparation
service, don’t be fooled by getting an
email containing an invoice from a tax
preparation service or soft ware company.
Sending fake invoices for services or
products is one of the top methods that
attackers use to trick people into opening
a malicious attachment that could automatically
execute malware on your computer.
Malicious attachments could also
contain links that download and execute
malicious programs if you click on them.
PDF attachments that contain innocuous
looking links can lead to users accidentally
downloading malicious soft ware
designed to steal their credentials.
4. Don’t rely on passwords alone.
Whenever possible, opt to use multi-factor
authentication like the Microsoft
Authenticator app for managing your
“manage service account” logins and
Windows Hello for easy and secure signin
to your Windows 10 device. Th ey
enable biometric authentications such as
your face or your fi ngerprint to quickly
and safely log in across devices, apps and
browsers without you having to remember
passwords. With a Microsoft account,
you can also securely and automatically
sign in to other cloud-based applications
including Bing, MSN, Cortana, Outlook.
com and Xbox Live (PC only).
5. Keep your soft ware current. Run a
modern, up-to-date operating system,
such as Windows 10, and make sure
to stay current with the latest security
and feature updates, in conjunction with
using built-in anti-virus protection like
Windows Defender Antivirus.
Don’t fall victim to sophisticated phishing
attempts via email. Protect your personal
information by informing yourself
about the latest scams. With just a little
extra care and vigilance, you should be
able to steer clear of “phishy” emails and
other scamming attempts this tax season.
Courtesy BPT
Louis Carino Year
Round
Service
TAX ACCOUNTANT- FINANCIAL PLANNER
"Over 20 Years Of Personalized Service"
• Preparation of all business
& personal returns
• Bookkeeping & payroll
services available
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Tel. (718) 767-6597
Fax. (718) 747-6149
Cell (917) 373-5975
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