Learn about protecting yourself from tax fraud and pass the quiz at the end of the article. You could win one of five $50 Amazon gift cards!

According to Terry Lemons, IRS communications senior adviser, "Scammers are relentless, and they use the guise of tax season to try tricking taxpayers into falling into a variety of traps. These tricks can lead to everything from identity theft to being misled into claiming tax credits for which they’re not entitled. For more than two decades, the IRS has highlighted the Dirty Dozen through far-reaching communications and education campaigns as part of a wider effort by the agency to protect taxpayers from being scammed.”  So, as we enter this year’s tax season, this guidance is worth repeating.

Here is a summary of the IRS announcement on what to avoid:

• Fake communications from those posing as legitimate organizations in the tax and financial community, including the IRS and the US states
• Swindlers posing as a "helpful" third party who offer to help create a taxpayer's IRS Online Account at IRS.gov
• Unscrupulous tax preparers promising huge tax refunds or encouraging people to inflate their refunds by erroneously claiming the fuel tax credit or other bogus tax avoidance strategies
• Fake charity organizations taking advantage of the public's generosity
• Ghost tax preparers who will not sign as the preparer or provide their IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN)
• Misleading tax information on social media and bogus tax forms
• Tax preparers with inadequate knowledge of, or protections against, cybersecurity risk
• Schemes with International elements like offshore accounts
• Spear phishing attacks to try to steal taxpayers’ information to file fraudulent tax returns and claim refunds

The IRS estimates that identity thieves have stolen billions via tax fraud. Don’t become another victim!

Be on the alert for: 

• Any message asking for W-2 or other tax information
• Authentic-looking emails impersonating UC or UCSF communications about accessing your W-2.  Apply the knowledge gained from ongoing phishing campaigns to both your work and personal life.
• Messages that look like they are from executive management requesting copies of employee W-2s for review purposes
• Messages with links that encourage you to click on them, offer you something for nothing, or threaten you.  Messages that instill a sense of urgency to act are another red flag.
• Any message asking for your user ID or passwords
• Unexpected phone calls about tax information or charitable donations, or calls asking you to install software

Protect yourself:

• Scrutinize all communications for indications of fraud. Review Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion: A Simple Summary for a list of what makes a communication suspicious.
• To access your W-2 statement, visit the University of California UCPath website via MyAccess instead of clicking on a link in an email. Likewise, verify that a phone number is legitimate by checking official communications or the UC websites.
• Use a different way to validate any request for W-2 or other tax information, even if it looks legitimate. For example, if you receive an email, call the person to verify the information. Do not use a phone number listed in the original communication.
• Do not reply to emails asking for your account password, one-time token, PINs, or SSN.
• Familiarize yourself with the IRS’s "Dirty Dozen" tax scams, so you recognize them.
• Remember the same good security practices done with your work systems and email transfer to your personal life. Sound practices are universal.
• If something is “too good to be true," it's usually too good to be true.
• Don't do anything in haste. Apply caution and resist being manipulated by greed or emotion. Don't trust implicitly. Always question information, as it may be potentially misinformation or disinformation.
• Understand that with current-day tools and computing power, AI-powered attackers can more easily craft legitimate-looking, believable emails, manipulate voice recordings, or simulate video to trick you.

Take the IT Security Tax Fraud Awareness Quiz.  Everyone who passes is entered to win one of six $50 Amazon Gift Cards

Additional Information:

IRS Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts