In response to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warning against tax-based phishing attempts, the city of Philadelphia released cybersecurity recommendations. In day two of the annual Dirty Dozen tax scams campaign, the IRS again includes a warning about phishing and smishing schemes where cybercriminals try to steal a taxpayer’s information through scam emails or text messages.
The Dirty Dozen is an annual IRS list of 12 scams and schemes that put taxpayers and the tax professional community at risk of losing money, personal data and more. Some items on the list are new, and some make a return visit. While the list is not a legal document or a formal listing of agency enforcement priorities, it is intended to alert taxpayers, businesses and tax preparers about scams at large.