Yesterday, I was honored to again have the opportunity to participate as a speaker at the Internal Revenue Service’s Nationwide Tax Forum 2019 in Washington, D.C. Through a generous grant provided by the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights to the Pell Center of Salve Regina University, we are able to educate small- and medium-sized tax
Privacy Tip #181- IRS Warns Consumers and Employers About Tax-Related Phishing Schemes
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
In another round of warnings from the federal government on protecting yourself from tax return fraud and identity theft, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued its 2019 “Dirty Dozen” Campaign, designed to warn individuals about the most common tax-related phishing schemes that are focused on tax fraud and identity theft.
During tax season, cyber…
Privacy Tip #180 – National Consumer Protection Week—Tax Identity Theft
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
This week is National Consumer Protection Week. In celebration of that, this post is devoted to protection from tax identity theft.
At this time of year, as we all prepare and file our tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), we are reminded again that tax identity theft continues to be a problem. Tax…
Privacy Tip #167 – IRS Issues Warning About Tax Transcript Scam
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a warning to consumers about an email that appears to come from “IRS Online.” The email is designed to get the recipient to click on an attachment labeled “Tax Account Transcript” or “tax transcript,” which is infected with the Emotet malware.
Tax transcripts are summaries of your tax…
Developing Crypto’s Regulatory Landscape: A Survey of Recent Actions by Federal Regulators to Fence Off Jurisdiction Over Virtual Currencies
By Greg Bennici on
Posted in Blockchain, Virtual Currency
In the decades that followed the enactment of the Homestead Act of 1862, more than 1.6 million U.S. citizens and intended citizens filed applications with the U.S. government to lay claim to 160 acres of land guaranteed to each applicant willing to settle, farm and improve the lands.
Settlers quickly encountered a major problem. The…
FBI Issues New Warning to Businesses About Phishing Campaigns
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
In a recent Public Service Announcement dated February 21, 2018 entitled “Increase in W-2 Phishing Campaigns,” the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) issued another alert about an increase in phishing campaigns since the beginning of 2018.
According to the FBI, “IRS’s Online Fraud Detection & Prevention (OFDP), which monitors for suspected IRS-related phishing emails,…
Privacy Tip #129 – As New Medicare Cards are Issued: Beware of Scams
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
This writer has been lamenting for years about the fact that Medicare recipients’ Social Security numbers are included on the face of the card. This is an unnecessary risk posed to Medicare recipients, which are primarily senior citizens, some of our most vulnerable citizens, who are already preyed upon by scammers.
Medicare has recognized the…
Now is the Busy Season for Cyber Criminals Posing as Executives to Obtain W-2s
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Cybersecurity
It’s the start of tax season, and many employers are sending W-2 forms to employees so they can get ready to file their tax returns.
As was true over the past few years, this is not only the busy season for tax preparers, but also for cyber criminals seeking to reap millions from U.S. taxpayers…
Connecticut Cyber Task Force Announced
By Kelly Sweeney on
Posted in Cybersecurity, Enforcement + Litigation
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Connecticut has announced the creation of a Connecticut Cyber Task Force (“CCTF”) in partnership with the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, Homeland Security, IRS, Connecticut State Police, and 11 local police departments from throughout Connecticut as well as other federal authorities. The CCTF’s initial focus will be twofold: (1) to “target criminal activity on the dark web, notably the illicit acquisition and distribution of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that are the cause of tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually” and (2) “to identify and disrupt criminal organizations that use computer intrusions to defraud companies of their money and information.”
Continue Reading Connecticut Cyber Task Force Announced
Privacy Tip #110 – Resources for Small Businesses to Stay Informed about Cyber Threats
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has concentrated on small businesses this year with the launch of www.FTC.gov/SmallBusiness , which provides data security awareness information to small businesses. The site includes articles about data security, how to develop a data security plan, what happens when ransomware affects your business, what to do in response to a…