The IRS and Security Summit partners launched the summer Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself campaign on July 1, alongside the Nationwide Tax Forum. The five-week campaign provides biweekly tips to help tax professionals prevent data theft amid rising identity theft threats and evolving scams targeting sensitive business and taxpayer information. Key scams include:
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fraudsters posing as new clients to execute spear phishing attacks;
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scammers attempting to steal EFINs, PTINs, CAF numbers and related documents;
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callers promoting the fake “Zero Tax” program to collect Social Security numbers;
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social media posts spreading false tax information and fraudulent credits;
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scammers sending fake texts or calls offering bogus IRS refunds for personal data; and
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fraudsters using AI to generate fake IRS letters to extract information.
Further, tax professionals should report any data breach to their local IRS Stakeholder Liaison to help prevent fraudulent returns. They should also notify their state tax agency through the Federation of Tax Administrators and follow the Federal Trade Commission’s Data Breach Response guidelines to strengthen data security practices.
