Reminder: Play it safe if you file taxes online this year

by Steve Ragan - Mar 31 2010, 18:15

April 15, the deadline to file taxes, a date that many of us in the U.S. would rather forget existed. However, as the saying goes, people who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women. Given that we all have to file returns, here are some tips to keep things safe when you file online.

The IRS says that the final three weeks leading to the April 15 deadline is the busiest time of the tax season. Last year, a record setting 90 million returns were filed by Americans online. According to the statistics, over one-third of those returns, some 32 million, were filed from a home computer. So what should you know in order to protect yourself and personal information?

The IRS doesn’t discuss tax related details over E-mail. The never have, and there are no plans for this policy to change any time soon. With that said, keep an eye out for E-mail that seems too good to be true. As an example, security vendor AppRiver points out that the IRS will never ask for PIN information or credit card information.

If you want an idea of what a fake IRS email looks like, including how not to fall victim to the scam, The Tech Herald recently published a "How To" on Phishing. In it we used a recent IRS email as an example. Check it out here.

“Remain vigilant and try to use simple logic - if it seems too good to be true, and it is sitting in your inbox, delete it. Especially if it is from someone you did not initiate contact with,” AppRiver’s spokesperson said.

When it comes to attachments, especially those that are said to contain your important tax information, or changes to your return, ignore them.

“Don't open attachments or follow links in unsolicited e-mails such as ‘Click Here to See Your Refund Amount From the IRS’ The IRS does not send attachments,” commented a spokesperson from AVG, who discussed some common tips for the tax season.

Adding to the discussion of attachments, AVG noted that over 60-percent of all attacks are aimed at Adobe. “Because of the popular exploits against Adobe, PDF files can be malicious. Do not open PDF attachments in unsolicited E-mails.”

Assuming that you have more than one computer in your house, “Do not file online using the same computer that your kids do,” AppRiver said.

“A good portion of online scams and Spam target today's younger generation of Internet users. Chances are that computers accessed by less-discerning, youthful users will be infected with Malware. Instead, it is wise to designate a separate PC solely for secure financial transactions.”

That leads to actual security software, important regardless of the number of systems in a household.

For that tip, the best advice from both AppRiver and AVG is to use layered protections. However, none of the security software you install will protect you if it isn’t maintained, so update it regularly, and apply all the updates released for system software such as Adobe and operating system patches from Apple or Microsoft.

If you think you might be a victim of a bogus tax scheme already, the IRS maintains a page with tips and help. Head here to view it.

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