Submit your taxes without fear of being cheated

Season officially the tax season and April 15 is quickly approaching. Of course, waiting until the last minute to present is seductive, especially if you owe government money, but security experts say the procrastinators should be careful.

The last minute rush through this annual work can endanger you more than making costly mistakes-can also make you more likely to drop for tax season-related fraud and other efforts to steal refunds and personal information.

While consumers have time to need to worry about fraudsters and online criminals who seek to benefit from the tax season, experts say their threat is increasing only as they increasingly exploit the power of artificial intelligence to increase their degree and sophistication.

“Many of these social engineering scams are becoming more true, more reliable,” said Abhishek Karnik, head of researching threats to McAfee.

For example, a person may receive a call from someone who claims to be an IRS agent with what sounds like an American accent. But they are a fraud that calls out of another place and may not actually be a native speaker in English.

With the help of his tools, the fraudsters can change their voice and speaking patterns to sound more convincing, turning what may have been a fraud easily polluted into something much more dangerous, Karnik said.

And more people are falling for those scams. Nearly one in four people surveyed for a study of McAfee issued Thursday say that they or someone they know have lost money in a tax fraud. Moreover, 87% of people surveyed say they are concerned about using it in generating more tax fraud messages – and more realistic – and fraudulent content.

While most of the deception messages created by him, McAfee researchers now see in the form of registered telephone calls, Karnik said it is only a matter of time before even more convincing real -time audio to become the norm.

Meanwhile, scammers also use it to increase their production of fraud text and email messages. These may also try to impose IRS or they may pretend to be from one of the large brands of tax software such as Turbotax or H&R Block.

But instead of sending victims to the company’s true website, the fraudsters use them in a fake that collects their money or their more private personal data. Karnik said victims can also end up with malware on their computers if they are cheated on downloading false tax preparation software.

Truman Kain, a security researcher at the Huntress Internet security firm, says a new tax scam that online security researchers are seeing this year is what fake $ 1,400 stimulating payments.

The fraud stems from the IRS December announcement that it would send payment for filters that did not receive them during the pandemic. Identity theft resources center, a non -profit organization focused on the help of victims of identity theft, also warned of fraud earlier this year.

Kain said the scammers withdrew in that notice. “They know that people are wondering if they qualify for it, so they are sending fake IRS texts to steal personal information,” Kain said.

But the IRS has already made most of those payments, and are making them automatically, so those who qualify do not need to present any personal information to get theirs. This is not stopping fraudsters from sending messages with fake text IRS saying they do.

When people click on the link to fraud texts, they usually take on a fake IRS website that requires them to submit personal information such as their social security number and banking information.

“This is all that a fraudster has to commit complete identity theft,” Kain said.

Moreover, fraudsters can also use information to submit a tax return on your name and to steal your potential refund.

How to avoid tax frauds

This may sound staggering, but experts say most frauds can be avoided if people take a moment to stop and think.

Here are some tips from IRS and experts to stay alert.

Don’t be scared: Taxes are stressful, so fraudsters will try to take advantage of your anxiety by adding a sense of urgency to their messages. They may say that your refund is at risk or that you can face prison time if you do not submit your information, make a payment or download their software immediately. Requirements like these are big red flags, says Karnik.

Early file: IRS accepts the first return they receive, says Kain. The sooner you submit, the less time criminals online should use your identity to make fraud. Remember that if you need more time, you can present an addition.

Beware of phishing and smiling: IRS never sends adverse emails or texts. Spend links and links and go directly to IRS or applicable state and city websites. Generally, do not respond to electronic posts or texts sent from unknown sources. And finally do not open the attachments from people you do not know or send them your personal information such as your social security number or tax ID.

Be wary of strange methods of payment: Tax payment requirements on cashier controls, wire transfers, gift cards or cryptocurrency are all fraud. IRS does not accept any of this, says Karnik.

Know who they deal with: If you are self-sustaining the Internet, make sure you are using a reputable service and make sure you are using the right website for that service. If you hire someone to do it for you, make sure they are the ones who say they are. Check the credentials and qualifications using the IRS directorate of federal tax return preparators.

Get a PIN: Taxpayers who can prove their identity with IRS can receive an identity protection PIN, a six-digit code that prevents a cyber criminal to submit a fraudulent tax statement with your social security number. This is a particularly good idea if you have been a victim of fraud in the past, says Kain.

Always use good passwords and 2Fa: These are both a must for any account related to your tax declarations and documents. Make sure you are using good antivirus software and that it, along with your operating system, is up to date. While in it, reserve your tax information in a mobile car or coded cloud storage. Copies and paper discs must be safely stored.

Chop everything: Tax documents that are no longer needed must be properly destroyed. Dumping dumpster still occurs. Do not be tempted to throw them in trash or recycling.

Take action if necessary: If you find out that someone has submitted a tax return on your name, fill in a paper return and include form 14039 (anti -theft). Report fraud in the implementation of local law and the Federal Commission of Trade. Monitor your credit reports and account statements and contact the three main credit offices to request a freezing so that no one is looking for new credit in your name.

Fight again against fraud: Tax -related frauds can be reported to the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and the Center of Identity Theft Resources.