NortonLifeLock Experts Warn Against COVID-Related Tax Phishing Scams
BUSINESS WIRE, 24 March 2021
On the heels of the IRS tax filing extension in the U.S., NortonLifeLock (NASDAQ: NLOK), a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety, today alerted consumers to surging tax-related phishing scams and shared Cyber Safety tips to help people stay ahead of cybercriminals and more safely take advantage of the extended time to file this season. While tax-related identity theft is an ongoing threat year-round, NortonLifeLock experts expect to see an increase this year due to the significant rise in unemployment benefits fraud and COVID related tax refund phishing scams.
“We’re seeing up to 60 new tax-related phishing sites appear each day,” said Darren Shou, head of technology for NortonLifeLock. “Many of these sites may only be active for 24 hours, but in that short span of time, attackers can use the information consumers believed they were sharing with a legitimate site for tax fraud, unemployment fraud, fake job hiring scams and other financial crimes. This year, cybercriminals are also taking advantage of the pandemic with COVID-related phishing scams, impersonating the IRS with emails to consumers with the false promise of tax relief payments that attempt to swindle people into providing their real personal and financial information.”
With more than 57 million people in the U.S. filing for unemployment between March and September 2020, identity thieves have taken advantage of the overwhelming number of claims by using personal information, such as a social security number or financial account information, to file an income tax return and steal the tax refund. According to the Department of Labor Inspector General, as much as $60 billion in pandemic-related unemployment benefits are fake.
