Now that tax season is among us, it’s worthy to note that this time of the year is ripe for scammers and fraud schemes. So, beware of spring scams for phishing and fraudulent activity.
According to the New York Times, “The Internal Revenue Service doesn’t make first contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal and financial information – including bank-account or credit card numbers, passwords or PIN codes. Messages asking for that information are deceptive “phishing” attempts to steal money and identities.”
Beware of Spring Scams: Tactics We’re Seeing Right Now
A good rule of thumb to follow is that the IRS will always begin their communications with a physical letter in the mail first, prior to any electronic communication.
This time of the year, you may also see an increase in campaigns asking for donations. Unfortunately, with the recent events in Ukraine, scammers are capitalizing on trying times. A similar approach happened at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But not to worry, there are great sites like CharityWatch and Charity Navigator that allow you to check the credibility of a donation site.
We hope this article gave you some points of consideration when it comes to frauds and scammers. If you have more questions about your organization’s cybersecurity needs, staffed with many IT professionals and experts, contact us today to learn how we’ve helped our clients. Please also view APC’s thought-leadership pieces. These articles cover a range of topics on technology and our Tech Tip Tuesday pieces, business insights, and recent technology news.
Kristen Burgess is the Marketing Specialist at Alliance of Professionals & Consultants, Inc. She has five years’ experience in curating content for digital platforms, social media contributions, and supporting marketing campaigns and strategies. Before joining the APC wolfpack, she worked in digital marketing for software as a service, giving her keen insight into the types of professionals APC hires today. In addition, she likes to stay up-to-date on the most relevant trends within the technology industry through thought-provoking podcasts and newsletters while paying attention to industry leaders’ trends. In her spare time, she serves on the Management Team and helps craft communications for the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties.