SAN JOSE, Calif., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With tax day
around the corner, SonicWALL, Inc., the leading provider of
intelligent network security and data protection solutions, today
released the results of its phishing quiz. Of the three million
respondents to the quiz, only 7.4% answered all of the questions
correctly. When asked to determine whether a suspect email was a
phishing e-mail or a legitimate email, respondents were wrong 22%
of the time. In addition, quiz results reveal that 1 in 10 people
will act on a phishing email even after they have been told it is
suspicious; actions include opening the email, clicking on links
and even providing personal data at the phisher's website.
The seasonal rise in phishing threats associated with the April
tax season has already begun. As in previous years, the infamous
phishing scam typically appears in inboxes masked as a notice to
taxpayers that their refund is available. Phishers use this ploy as
an opportunity to gain access to personal identity and account
information, ostensibly requested in order for the IRS to deposit
the refund to the correct account. While the IRS would never make
such a request by email, the "refund" email is ideal bait for
scammers.
"Over the years, tax-related phishing emails from parties posing
as the IRS or an online tax service requesting bank account
information have become more sophisticated," said Eugene Serafin, email security expert at
SonicWALL. "Initially, the IRS spoof emails were plain text with no
images. Phishers then began using attachments, and then they added
fake IRS logos in addition to text to give the emails the
appearance of legitimacy. The best way to protect yourself this tax
season from any attempt is to quiz yourself and be aware of all the
threats out there."
While the IRS uses U.S. Postal Service mail exclusively, it is
still possible to receive legitimate email regarding your taxes.
There are numerous established online filing services, ranging from
tax consultants to calculators, that complete and file your tax
forms electronically. When you use these services, you are likely
to receive legitimate email notifications from them and from the
bank acting as the transfer agent to the IRS. The fact that such
notifications are commonplace provides the perfect opportunity for
phishers to prey on unsuspecting victims by asking for a bank card
number "to deposit a refund" or a Social Security number "for
identity verification."
To help taxpayers avoid identity theft during tax season, the
SonicWALL Threat Team has outlined several steps to defend against
refund-related phishing threats:
- Remember that all official correspondence with the IRS is done
through the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS never sends emails asking
for any financial, personal or identity information. Do not respond
to these types of emails.
- If you use an online tax preparation service, pay close
attention to the instructions they provide, such as emails you
should expect to receive and the correct procedure for providing
important information like the bank account number to which your
refund should be deposited. If you need to confirm that a
transaction has been completed, either use the tax preparation
website or call them directly.
- A tax filing program such as TurboTax will most likely send you
an email notification when your taxes are filed, letting you know
that your tax forms were accepted or possibly rejected. Do not
click on any links in the email. Go back to the tax preparation
website and check for any notifications.
- Beware of offers that allow you to get loans on your income tax
refund. Though some may be legitimate, this is a notorious model
for phishing scams.
- If you have any questions about an email concerning your online
tax filing and/or refund from your tax software provider or online
filing service, go to the tax service website or contact them by
phone.
- Test your phishing IQ and take the SonicWALL phishing IQ
test
- For more information about identity phishing, email scams and
bogus IRS websites, go to the IRS information page
Learn more about SonicWALL's E-mail Security solutions.
About SonicWALL, Inc.
Guided by its vision of Dynamic Security for the Global Network,
SonicWALL develops advanced intelligent network security and data
protection solutions that adapt as organizations evolve and as
threats evolve. Trusted by small and large enterprises worldwide,
SonicWALL solutions are designed to detect and control applications
and protect networks from intrusions and malware attacks through
award-winning hardware, software and virtual appliance-based
solutions. For more information,
visit http://www.sonicwall.com/.
Copyright © 2011 SonicWALL, Inc. All rights reserved. SONICWALL®
is a registered trademark of SonicWALL, Inc. and all other
SonicWALL product and service names and slogans are trademarks or
registered trademarks of SonicWALL, Inc. Other product and company
names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
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SOURCE SonicWALL, Inc.