Beware targeted attacks around tax season

With the tax filing deadline less than three weeks away, we’re entering the busiest time of the tax season according to the IRS. Last year, almost 95 million people e-filed their tax returns. That was over 67 percent of the total population that filed taxes in the United States. Included in the total of e-filers were 32 million people who e-filed by a home computer.

With that many people doing their taxes online or having a tax preparer do it for them, AVG Technologies is warning of a last minute wave of targeted attacks centered around tax season by scammers.

How to protect yourself?

• It’s important to remember that the IRS doesn’t discuss tax matters with people via e-mail… EVER! Don’t supply your personal information: Social Security Number, credit card, etc., to anyone e-mailing you for it.
• If you are downloading IRS forms and documents from the Web, visit only sites that you know are reputable and use a scanning program to ensure the sites are safe before you click.
• Utilize a multi-layered security software that combines web security and anti-virus to protect you and your computer; most threats these days come from the web, and not from emailed viruses or Trojans
• Don’t open attachments or follow links in unsolicited e-mails such as “Click Here to See Your Refund Amount From the IRS.” The IRS does not send attachments.
• Over 60 percent of all attacks are aimed at Adobe. Because of the popular exploits against Adobe, PDF files can be malicious. DO NOT open PDF attachments in unsolicited e-mails.