Tax season can be a stressful time for anyone. Just don’t let scammers add to your anxiety.
Like any year, you need to keep personal information safe by being aware of the latest scams. And those include fraudsters impersonating the IRS or other officials through texts, emails or phone calls.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a ripe environment for fraudsters,” said Jeff Taylor, head of commercial fraud forensics for Regions Bank. “They continue to attempt to acquire personal information and proprietary business data through email, telephone, texts and U.S. mail. Be on your guard and validate any request for your information.”
Here are some suggestions to protect yourself:
Email Scams
If you receive an email claiming to be from the IRS requesting W-2s or other tax related information:
- Don’t reply
- Don’t open any attachments or links, as they may contain malicious malware code that can infect your computer or mobile phone
- Forward the full email to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov
- Delete the original email
If Your Business Becomes a Victim of a W-2 Scam
If you become aware of a compromise:
- Email the IRS at dataloss@irs.gov and send the full email to phishing@irs.gov
- Email the Federation of Tax Administrators at statealert@taxadmin.org to learn how to file a report
- Notify employees of the compromise so they may take steps to protect themselves
Stay on Top of Business Emails
Many of these fraud events begin with a business email compromise. The fraudster generates an email from a spoofed email address that looks like it comes from a legitimate sender. Keep in mind:
- It’s good practice to not act on any email requesting sensitive information such as account numbers, changes to payment terms, or other tax-related information. Validate the request by calling a number related to the sender in question, not the number included in the email
- Establish internal controls that govern the distribution of any tax-related documents or information
Want more information, or have questions?
For more best practices regarding fraud prevention, please visit regions.com/stopfraud or regions.com/fraudprevention. If you believe that you are a victim of fraud, or if you have received a suspicious alert or communication, please call your bank. For Regions customers, call Regions Client Services immediately at 1-800-787-3905.
The information presented is general in nature and should not be considered, legal, accounting or tax advice. Regions reminds its customers that they should be vigilant about fraud and security and that they are responsible for taking action to protect their computer systems. Fraud prevention requires a continuous review of your policies and practices, as the threat evolves daily. There is no guarantee that all fraudulent transactions will be prevented or that related financial losses will not occur. Visit regions.com/STOPFRAUD or speak with your Banker for further information on how you can help prevent fraud.