It’s tax season and phishing attempts are on the rise

It’s tax season in the US and in several other countries and phishing scams are on the rise.

Preying on unsuspected email recipients, the phishing scammers’ email subjects include the names of a variety of tax or accounting-related software, such as Turbo Tax, Intuit etc.

These emails ask the recipient to update their account, software or profiles with the respective companies.

The reasons the software companies are being used in this manner are simple:

• Volume: Recipients stand a good chance to be actual users of the software.
• Timing: Tax season, an important time during the year for one’s business or personal accounting.
• Confusion: The software companies themselves send out a number of legitimate emails; the phishing emails thus capitalize on the element of confusion.
• Attachments: Some phishing emails aren’t just links to gateways that look like their legitimate counterparts; they also bear viruses, trojans or other malware.

When you receive ANY email asking you to log into an account of ANY sort, do not do so. I cannot stress this enough.

Simply type in the URL of the web site that you have an account with, and log in securely. This way no phishing scammer will manage to trick you into surrendering your details.

Enjoy a happy and safe tax-preparation season 😀