March 29, 2016

The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) has some easy-to-use STOP. THINK. CONNECT. cyber tips to help you protect against fraudster tricks this time of year.

Tax season is prime time for online scams. Cybercriminals are continuously looking to lift your personal information to cash in on a refund request and/or steal your identity. The problem is rampant: in 2015, the Federal Trade Commission received close to half a million complaints, and nearly half (45 percent) were tax fraud-related. Cyber thieves are crafty: they can break into your account or device and literally steal your online life – as well as your tax refund.

Don’t Become a Victim: Watch Out for Tax Season Tricks

Online con artists will tempt you to take action in a variety of ways. Beware of the following:

• Phishing Scams: Cybercriminals will try to get you to do something, like click on a link or respond to an email, so they can steal your personal information. Watch out for unsolicited emails, texts, social media posts or fake websites that may lure you in and prompt you to share valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this information, online thieves can pilfer funds and/or commit identity theft. And opening malicious links or attachments can cause malware â