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IRS Tax Transcript Scam Alert: What You Must Know

Posted: December 17, 2018 to News.

Tags: Malware, Data Breach, Compliance

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning about a new “tax transcript” scam that consumers are forwarding to the IRS reporting address [email protected].   Scammers pretending to be the “IRS Online” send out “urgent” emails with attachments labeled some variant of “Tax Account Transcript”.  Tax transcripts are summaries of your tax records.  They are available online, and taxpayers do need access to an email account.  The IRS does not, however, send unsolicited emails to the public.  The emails are actually malware that is known to the IRS as Emotet.  Posing as financial institutions, these cybercriminals trick people into opening the attachments. According to US-CERT, Emotet infections have cost up to $1 million per incident to remediate. What to do: Do not open the email or the attachment!  If you are on your personal computer, delete the email.  If you are on your work computer, notify your information security team immediately, and let others in your office know not to open the email either. If you receive a call, a voice message, or an email from someone claiming to be from the IRS and you do not owe money, hang up or do not respond.  Never give out any information.  Your safest bet is to call the IRS directly at 1.800.829.1040 to discuss your specific situation. For security awareness training to help prevent things like this from happening to you, go here.

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About the Author

Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books
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