Do you trust your tax preparer not to fall for this simple phishing scam Attack.Phishing ? The Internal Revenue Service is warning tax preparers about a new scam designed to steal Attack.Databreach their usernames and passwords . The hacker ’ s goal is to break in to the preparer ’ s computer system and steal Attack.Databreach client information . The IRS advises the bogus email appears to come from Attack.Phishing the recipient ’ s software provider and typically has a subject line that reads something like : “ Software Support Update ” or “ Important Software System Upgrade. ” The message tells the preparer they need to revalidate their login credentials and it provides a link to a “ fictitious website that mirrors the software provider ’ s actual login page , ” according to an IRS bulletin issued last month . “ Instead of upgrading software , the tax professionals are providing their information to cybercriminals who use the stolen credentials to access the preparers ' accounts and to steal client information . '' This phishing attack Attack.Phishing was cleverly designed to launch at the time of year when many software providers release upgrades to professional preparers . It ’ s also a busy time for preparers who are working to meet the Oct. 15 deadline for clients who filed for extensions . “ This sophisticated scam yet again displays cybercriminals ’ tax savvy and underscores the need for tax professionals to take strong security measures to protect their clients and protect their business , ” the IRS alert said . Mike Wyatt , a threat researcher with RiskIQ , a digital threat management firm , told NBC News he ’ s not surprised to see this current attack . Getting people to click on malicious links requires social engineering — and launching a phishing campaign related to calendar events can be a successful tactic . “ Cybercriminals very often leverage holidays , events and other important dates in their threat campaigns , so it makes perfect sense that a group is capitalizing on the extended tax deadlines coming up , ” he said . The IRS said it had received reports of “ multiple takeover incidents ” in the past year in which the criminals accessed client tax returns , completed those returns , e-filed them and secretly directed refunds to their own accounts . The phishing emails that made these takeovers possible “ can look convincing Attack.Phishing , appearing Attack.Phishing to originate from IRS e-Services ” the IRS warned . They have subject lines designed to get a quick response , such as : “ Account Closure Now , ” “ Avoid Account Shutdown , ” or “ Unlock Your Account Now. ” IRS screen captures show that the fake login pages created Attack.Phishing by the crooks look just like Attack.Phishing those on the real IRS site . “ We urge tax professionals to be on the lookout for the warning signs of these schemes and many others that can contribute to data loss and identity theft , ” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a statement . “ A few simple steps can protect tax professionals as well as their clients . ”

Amazon buyers are being targeted by clever scammers that either set up independent seller accounts or hijack those of already established , well-reputed sellers , then offer pricy items at unbeatable prices . In an example offered by Comparitech ’ s Lee Munson , the item in question is a big LCD TV that is usually sold at around £2,300 , but the scammer offers it at almost half the price for a “ used – like new ” item . But when the potential victim tries to buy it , Amazon throws up an error , saying that there was a problem with the item in the order . A determined buyer will try to contact the seller through Amazon ’ s in-house messaging system , but the seller will push to move the conversation off it by offering a contact email address . Munson ’ s email exchange with the scammer shows that the latter insists that by contacting them directly the problem has been solved , and that an order confirmation will be sent to the buyers ’ email address . The order confirmation looks like Attack.Phishing it came from Attack.Phishing Amazon ( it appears to come from Attack.Phishing the auto-confirm @ amazon-payments-support.co.uk email address ) , but was in fact sent Attack.Phishing by the scammer . The order instructs Attack.Phishing the user to pay via direct bank transfer , to a private bank account – seemingly through Amazon Payments , but actually not . Once the victims make the payment in the way they have been instructed , it ’ s game over . They have parted with their money , and Amazon won ’ t refund them as the payment hasn ’ t been effected through their payment system . “ Payment within the Amazon.co.uk site is the only authorised and recognised form of payment for items sold by Sellers on Amazon.co.uk . Every customer who orders on Amazon.co.uk is covered by our A-to-z guarantee ; however items paid for outside of the Amazon.co.uk Marketplace aren ’ t eligible for protection , ” the company noted , and advised customers to report this type of sellers to them . But even that is not enough to stop these scammers , and they set up new accounts almost immediately after old ones have been blocked , as evidenced in this post on a Kindle Help Forum . Obviously , Amazon must find a way to spot these schemes and take these accounts down much sooner