Like every year, the IRS spends one week close to the year’s end to remind taxpayers and practitioners of the latest scams of which to be aware. This year is no different.
The 2023 National Tax Security Awareness Week focuses on holiday scams and protecting personal information during this time of year when taxpayers have a heightened risk of being the target of a scam. The IRS reminds taxpayers to be particularly diligent in protecting confidential personal information and to beware of the latest scams by following these important practices:
- Shop at sites where the web address begins with “https” – the “s” is for secure communications and look for the padlock icon in the browser window.
- Don’t shop on unsecured public Wi-Fi in places like a mall or restaurant.
- Keep security software for computers, tablets and mobile phones updated.
- Protect the devices of family members, including young children, older adults as well as less technologically savvy users.
- Make sure anti-virus software for computers has a feature to stop malware, and that there is a firewall enabled that can prevent intrusions.
- Use strong and unique passwords for online accounts.
- Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible. It helps prevent thieves from easily hacking accounts. The IRS also reminds the tax community that the Federal Trade Commission this summer updated their standards and now requires tax professionals to use multi-factor authentication to protect information.
To review the complete notice, click here.
