March 30th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
As the busiest time of the tax season approaches, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warn tax professionals to remain alert to taxpayer data theft and to safeguard data. The 2018 tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17.
"Cyber thieves never rest and tax preparers throughout Maryland need to remain on guard to protect their clients' personal and financial information," Comptroller Franchot said. "These devious tactics ruin lives and leave victims vulnerable. Never give anyone claiming to be from the IRS on the phone or in an email your Social Security or other identifying information."
The IRS said the “new client” scam has re-emerged by cyber criminals to target tax professionals with spear phishing schemes. In this scam, a “new client” emails the tax pro about a tax issue, attaching documents purportedly to be an IRS notice or prior-year tax information. The documents actually contain malware that, if opened, enable criminals to steal taxpayer information.
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