Taxreturn time becomes an open season for cybercrime.AamirLakhani, Senior Security Strategist Fortinet shares insights on the types of SocialEngineeringAttacks to watch out & how to ProtectYourself. Cybersecurity AI taxscams technology Opinion
As South Africans prepare to file their tax returns from 7 July, cybercriminals are also gearing up. Tax return time becomes open season for cybercrime, and this year is expected to be worse due to many people working from home on various devices connected to unsecured networks.
Social engineering scams, although cybercriminals employ other sophisticated tactics, become low-hanging fruit, particularly during tax season. The good news is that everyone can take steps to avoid falling victim to a social engineering tax scam.Cybercriminals actively exploit the stress and uncertainty surrounding tax season. Attacks often manifest as
email campaigns or phone calls from individuals claiming to be from the South African Revenue Service . To appear legitimate, scammers may utilize stolen personal information, such as identity numbers.”’ approach for phishing campaigns, sending thousands of emails with hopes of ensnaring at least one victim. On the other hand, spear-phishing attacks involve targeted phishing emails personalized to appear as if they were sent by someone familiar to the recipient.
Small business owners, new taxpayers under 25, and older taxpayers over 60 become prime targets for tax refund scams during tax season. Cybercriminals perceive these individuals as potentially less informed about tax policies and more susceptible to emotional manipulation. For instance, scammers may claim that the victim has missed a crucial tax deadline and apply pressure for immediate action.
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