With the “regular tax season” deadline of April 15th getting closer, the schemers and scammers will be going full steam ahead hoping to lure you into their twisted little web that we know as Identity Theft.
Learn the various terms and phrases out there in cyber land. Remember when “being bad” was actually good? Well, Phishing isn’t fishing for trout these days. Stay current.
Things to remember:
I.D. Thieves prey on everyone; they toss a line out and see who bites.
When receiving an email from your bank, always call your local branch to verify.
Make a point to visit your state and federal websites to keep yourself up to date with the latest schemes as listed below.
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from your bank, they should ask you some validating questions about yourself. I always ask THEM a few questions, then hang up and call my local branch. You just cannot be too careful when it comes to bank info.
The IRS never contacts you via email about a refund or issue with your return, NEVER. This is always a sure fire scam.
1. Phishing: Phishing is a tactic used by Internet-based thieves to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personal information they can then use to access the victims’ financial accounts. These criminals use the information obtained to empty the victims’ bank accounts, run up credit card charges and apply for loans or credit in the victims’ names. Phishing scams often take the form of an e-mail that appears to come from a legitimate source. Some scam e-mails falsely claim to come from the IRS. To date, taxpayers have forwarded more than 33,000 of these scam e-mails, reflecting more than 1,500 different schemes, to the IRS.
2. Scams Related to the Economic Stimulus Payment: Some scam artists are trying to trick individuals into revealing personal financial information that can be used to access their financial accounts by making promises relating to the economic stimulus payment, often called a “rebate.” To obtain the payment, eligible individuals in most cases will not have to do anything more than file a 2007 federal tax return. But some criminals posing as IRS representatives are trying to trick taxpayers into revealing their personal financial information by falsely telling them they must provide information to get a payment. For instance, a potential victim is told by phone or e-mail that he or she is eligible for a rebate but must provide a bank account number (or similar information) to get the payment. If the target is unwilling, the victim is then told that he cannot receive the rebate unless the information is provided. Individuals should remember that the only way to get a stimulus payment is to file a 2007 tax return. The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra-vigilant. The IRS will not contact taxpayers by phone or e-mail about their stimulus payment.
3. Military Spouses Targeted: The BBB warned that a caller claiming to represent the Red Cross informs military spouses that their husband or wife has been injured while on duty in Iraq and has been med-evacuated to a German hospital. The caller then claims that in order to start medical treatment, the spouse must provide correct identification of their enlisted family member including a Social Security number and birth date. (All the schemes and scams are slimy, but this one really rocks the slime ball meter)
Remember, keep your Firewalls up, your PC and security products updated and you should be fine. If you have a question or not sure about something, just ask. www.myviewis.com
Next month we are going to talk a little about all these texts messaging our kids are doing.
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