Thanks to cybersecurity, they have uncovered a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting taxpayers via their mobile devices. In today’s time, where online fraud is as common as us forgetting our passwords, despite being careful, the anxiety that comes with last-minute tax filing is something else.
As many of you know, the tax-paying deadline in the U.S. ends on April 15, 2025, and this season will mark a hectic time before the end of its financial terms. However, smart cybercriminals are using this opportunity to steal sensitive personal and financial data. While these virtual frauds have been prevalent for ages, they have increased in recent times.
As per a report, since February 2025, these attacks have increased nearly fourfold, with a noticeable spike in activity as the tax filing deadline approaches. Reportedly, this racket uses not calls but rather SMS to initiate the frauds. They very tactfully use a tone of urgency about tax refunds being delayed or warning of legal actions due to non-payment.
These scam messages include links that appear to lead to the IRS website, and when citizens click on these links, they are redirected to convincing fake IRS (Internal Revenue Service) sites designed to gather personal information, including Social Security Numbers and monetary details.
As per McAfee researchers, these attacks employ suave domain spoofing techniques, often weaving “irs.gov” into adversarial URLs to create a false sense of legality. Examples of these deceptive domains include “irs.gov.entes-tax[dot]com” and “irs.gov.tax-pleas[dot]com.” Once the person enters their data, it is immediately sent to control and command servers, often those located outside America, so that legal authorities like the cyber security cell cannot track and take action.
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Security experts have discovered that domain spoofing techniques often come from an uncanny mimicry of the actual websites and that the people behind these sites are skilled hackers who use advanced ways to copy the official IRS website, including the use of IRS logos, colour schemes, and layouts that make them nearly indistinguishable from real government pages.
Other forms of tax fraud other than SMS links include scammers filing false returns where they use the victim’s name and claim their refunds, which leaves the victim without their money. Likewise, identity theft is another growing issue where many hackers use the victim’s identity to commit crimes.
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For instance, these evil rackets are capable of stealing credit card information and passwords and then opening accounts in the victim’s name. Some are even capable of selling information to others who are interested in committing identity theft. Therefore, it is important to file the taxes on time and follow certain protection rules.
Like not forgetting to remove your information from vague data broker sites; never give out personal information (especially the social security number) to callers without proper checks. Use online protection that sniffs out scams like McAfee, and lastly, stay updated and keep in check the social security rules that are subject to change from next month.
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Remember, technology in itself is neither good nor bad. It’s the people who make it so, depending on how they use it. A fool can still be a fool with a tool in hand if it’s not used properly, just as an expert can make the most of it.
