When you file your taxes online, you may become a target for tax-related scams and cybercriminals. Use the appropriate resources and heed our advice on how to stay safe this tax season by using Avast Secure Browser to prevent scams.

Just how common are these scams?

Let the statistics do the talking.

Scams have taken 17,000 victims as of May 2020 alone.
On average, 1.5 billion attacks are blocked every month.
Every month, approximately 3 million distinct phishing URLs and 33 million phishing attacks are blocked.
Every month, 4 million ransomware attacks are prevented.

Here are three instances of these security lapses and scams, along with tips on how to steer clear of them this tax season.

1. Ghost tax preparers

Someone who will prepare your taxes but not sign the return is known as a “ghost tax preparer.” Anyone who receives compensation for preparing or helping to prepare federal tax returns is required by law to sign the form and provide their preparer’s tax identification number (PTIN). Alternatively, ghost tax preparers will print the return, have the taxpayer sign it, and mail it. Alternatively, they will decline to digitally sign electronically submitted forms, frequently due to their desire to avoid liability. Engaging in this unethical activity exposes you to a dizzying number of issues. The ghost tax preparer is long gone, therefore you, the taxpayer, will have to face the consequences on your own if those issues result in an audit.

How to avoid being scammed

It’s crucial to keep in mind that, in the end, you are in charge of all the data on your tax return, regardless of who prepared it. Thus, be cautious to pick your preparer carefully.

Do – Check the preparer’s qualifications. You can search the IRS directory to identify preparers with certifications and qualifications recognized by the IRS.
Do – Review before signing. Always study the tax return before your tax preparer characters and files. If it checks out, make certain the preparer signs & provides their PTIN.
Don’t – Never sign a expressionless return. If your tax preparer invites you to sign the return they’ve prepared, run for the hills. But rather, report them to the IRS.
Do: E-file your taxes with a reputable tax preparation provider. If you have a refund due, the quickest method to receive it is to file your return electronically. We advise using TurboTax to make sure your tax filing is completed safely and securely. A group of tax professionals is available at TurboTax to assist you in obtaining the largest possible tax refund. TurboTax may be accessed immediately from the Avast Secure Browser New Tab page when using a desktop computer.

2. W-2 phishing scams

Phishing is a technique used by cybercriminals to fool you into providing them with personal information, including credit card numbers, usernames, and passwords, by pretending to be a reliable and respectable organization or person.

An attacker pretending to be a high-ranking official in a company or organization, such as the CEO, executive, or principal of a school, launches a W-2 phishing operation. Subsequently, emails are sent to staff members requesting copies of W-2 forms, which contain all the personal data required to submit tax returns. In order to put employees at ease before requesting the forms, many of these phishing emails begin with a kind greeting.

How to avoid being scammed

Never reply to calls, texts, or emails requesting personal information. Never email a W-2 or other tax document without first making sure, over the phone or in person, that your supervisor received the request in the first place. Even though it could appear time-consuming, it’s preferable to spend a few minutes verifying than years attempting to repair any damage. Also check How To Spot Email Scams

3. IRS phishing scams

An IRS phishing attempt usually involves the target receiving an email or phone call that appears to be from the IRS and requests them to follow a link and complete a form. There are numerous strategies to persuade the recipient to click, including:

You must update your online profile with the IRS.
You are entitled to a reimbursement.
a notification that there was fraudulent use of your credit card, but you can still get part of the money back
You have a sizable inheritance, tax refund, or lottery win coming up.

Watch out for generic greetings (instead of your name), bad grammar or typos, contradicting websites, and slightly off-kilter web URLs for well-known companies in both phishing scenarios.

How to avoid being scammed

Don’t download, click, or respond. Links in emails from the IRS should not be clicked. Americans are never contacted by the real IRS by text, email, or social media. The IRS will NEVER email you regarding any amount owed or due. We cannot stress this point enough. You can almost always count on them to get in touch with you through the USPS. Even so, it’s a good idea to check any correspondence you’ve received against the forms available on the official IRS website. Also check Risks To Beware Of This Tax Season

Do: Make use of software with enhanced anti-phishing safeguards. The first line of protection against harmful threats is the desktop browser’s Anti-Phishing feature from Avast Secure Browser. Our technology outperformed rival browsers’ anti-phishing solutions by blocking 33,527,922 phishing assaults and 2,703,573 unique phishing URLs in 2020 alone.

This technology works with Avast’s industry-leading threat detection to keep you secure by blocking access to harmful websites, downloads, and phishing schemes. It confirms that the website you are seeing is secure and uninfected with malware.

Using the built-in Bank Mode to create a virtual desktop will provide an additional degree of security against malicious script injection, keystroke recording, and efforts by third-party apps to take screenshots.

Bonus tips

Software upgrades should not be disregarded. Update your program. Ensure that the software and hardware on all of your devices are secure from malware and kept up to date. Updates for software frequently include “patches” to fix security flaws the business has found. Therefore, using out-of-date software exposes you to danger.

Employ strong passwords: Make sure your personal information is as secure as possible by using strong passwords that are exclusive to each of your accounts. Additionally, if feasible, employ multi-factor authentication. Similar to using a lock and a deadbolt, employing a strong password in conjunction with multi-factor authentication makes you much safer than using only one.

Employ a virtual private network (VPN), such as the one included with Avast Secure Browser, to protect your data while using public Wi-Fi. This is especially important if you’re using a public Wi-Fi network on a mobile device. By encrypting all of your internet gridlock, a VPN makes sure that no one can access the personal information you provide online—including crooks attempting to steal your tax information. Do you wish to use a VPN for purposes other than your mobile browser? Here’s the solution: Avast SecureLine VPN!

Verify that the website you are seeing is encrypted with Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL. The URL will not start with http, but with https. This indicates that the website is safe & encrypted.

Verify that the website you are seeing is encrypted with Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL. The URL will not start with http, but with https. This suggests that the website is safe & encrypted.

It is estimated that 17,000 people fell for scams similar to the ones mentioned below in May 2020 alone.
In 2020, we stopped 218,800,060 files and 1,524,909,287 attacks on average every month.
In 2020, an average of 4,186,728 ransomware assaults were prevented per month.
Up until now, Avast has monitored and stopped over 3,300 harmful apps using our mobile threat intelligence platform, apklab.io.

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