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The Maui News
Tax professionals were warned to be on alert to a new phishing email scam involving people impersonating tax software providers attempting to steal user names and passwords.
This is the time of year when many software providers issue software upgrades and when tax professionals are working to meet the Oct. 15 deadline for extension filers, said the news release earlier this month from the Internal Revenue Service, state tax officials and the tax preparation industry.
This latest email scam comes with the subject line "Software Support Update" and highlights an "Important Software System Upgrade." It thanks recipients for continuing to trust the software provider to serve their tax preparation needs and mimics the software providers' email templates, the news release said.
The email informs recipients that due to a recent software upgrade, the preparer must revalidate log-in credentials. It provides a link to a fictitious website that mirrors the software provider's actual log-in page.
Instead of upgrading software, the tax professionals are providing their information to cybercriminals who use the stolen credentials to access the preparers' accounts and to steal client information.
Tax professionals need to take strong security measures to protect their clients and their business, the news release said. They are reminded that software providers do not embed links into emails asking to validate passwords. Also, tax professionals and taxpayers should never open a link or an attachment from a suspicious email.
Tax professionals who receive emails purportedly from their tax software providers seeking log-in credentials should send those scam emails to their tax software provider. Tax professionals can review additional tips to protect clients and themselves at www.irs.gov/individuals/protect-your-clients-protect-yourself.