Yet Another New Warning on a Last-Minute Tax Scam!!
It seems that we receive notices almost daily about new and more aggressive IRS scams. The IRS and state tax agencies recently issued another a new scam warning, this time for both tax professionals and their clients of late-season phishing e-mail scams, especially those requesting last-minute deposit changes for refunds or account updates.
As tax season winds down, tax-related scams are peaking, the IRS said, as cybercriminals use sophisticated scams to trick people into divulging sensitive data.
One new scam involves phony taxpayers asking their tax preparer to make a last-minute change to their refund destination, often to a prepaid debit card. The IRS urges preparers to verbally reconfirm information with a client should they receive a last-minute e-mail request to change an address or direct deposit account for refunds. Tax professionals should also change and strengthen their own e-mail passwords to protect e-mail accounts used to exchange sensitive data with clients.
Taxpayers should also learn to recognize phishing e-mails, calls or texts that pose as familiar organizations such as banks, credit card companies, tax software providers or the IRS. These scams often urge taxpayers to give up sensitive data such as passwords, Social Security numbers, and bank account or credit card numbers.
Taxpayers who receive suspicious e-mails purporting to be from a tax software provider or from the IRS should forward them to phishing@irs.gov and never open an attachment or link from an unknown or suspicious source.
Remember that the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mails or request sensitive data via e-mail.
At SFS Tax & Accounting Services we use a secure client portal to send and receive confidential information with our clients. What is a client portal? It is an electronic gateway to a collection of digital files, services, and information, accessible over the Internet through a web browser.
What is a client portal? It is an electronic gateway to a collection of digital files, services, and information, accessible over the Internet through a web browser.
SFS provides a secure entry point, and our clients log in to an area where they can view, download, and upload private information. Our clients keep their source documents/backup information, communications, and tax returns in a “virtual filing cabinet” and can access all information at will as long as they remain our client.
For more details or to schedule an appointment contact us at info@sfstaxacct.com or call 772-337-1040.
