Identity Theft All Time High During Tax Season

Tax season is one of the most active times of the year for identity theft and targeted phishing attacks. With the number of scam phone calls on the rise here are a few quick steps you can take to keep yourself safe.

1. Never share your personally identifiable information. If you ever receive an email from a friend or colleague like me requesting this type of information, contact them directly before responding.
2. If you receive a phone call requesting remote access to your personal computer — hang up. We will never request access to your computer outside our normal screen-sharing tools.
3. The IRS will never threaten or demand payment over the phone. 
4. Review your credit card and bank statements/transactions frequently. Your Client Portal can help you keep an eye on recent transactions and identify fraudulent activity immediately.

There’s much more you can do to stay safe, like using firewalls and antivirus software or registering with the do not call registry, but if you follow these quick tips, you’ll have a good start on staying safe from scams. Due to this, the SMARTMap Portal will be implementing a 2-factor Authentication.

“2-factor Authenication.”ABM. 2019. https://connect.emoneyadvisor.com/-temporary-slug-445199f2-8a73-437d-abe0-87551af18524?hs_preview=tKXeMKSR-7979305558