How to Avoid Falling Victim to Common Tax Scams

April 15, 2019 has come and gone, but scam artists work year-round.   By remembering these guiding principles, you can help yourself avoid tax season’s most common scams. Matthew Cochrane (TMFCochrane) Feb 8, 2019 at 6:07AM As peak tax season approaches, many Americans are gathering their tax documents and preparing for the effects — both good and bad — of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on their returns. […]

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Why Googling Yourself Is Not Just for Fun Anymore

When we consider risks to our online presence, there’s no such thing as low stakes. Untoward information floating around online could cost you your dream job at minimum or compromise your personal safety in the worst case scenario. But how do you know if any of this damaging information is out there? A good place to start is with a Google search of your name. […]

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It’s tax season — this is how email scammers are trying to fool you

~ Kari Paul, reporter for MarketWatch If the IRS is going to contact you, they’ll initiate contact with a paper letter in the mail, an IRS spokesperson confirmed to MarketWatch. The IRS will only call you in rare circumstances. “Tax season is prime phishing season for cybercriminals,” said Atif Mushtaq, chief executive officer of Pleasanton, Calif.-based security provider SlashNext. “Because email security tools have become […]

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It’s Tax Season. Watch Out for These 3 Signs of a Tax Scam

Tax scams abound year-round, but people over 65 are targeted even more frequently during tax season. Why? A certain amount of money is in play at this time as taxpayers are figuring out what they owe Uncle Sam and scammers take advantage of the fact that money is being exchanged between the U.S. citizenry and its government. On April 15 we effectively settle the bill. […]

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Never open an email from the Internal Revenue Service

There is a current tax scam where fraudulent emails are being sent with the subject “tax transcripts”. Opening the email will cause your computer and network to be infected by malware. https://on.mktw.net/2R55oo8

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