COVID-19 Relief Money Phishing Scams Steal Taxpayer Data
Cybercriminals are using a combination of scams to steal, buy and sell credentials from U.S. taxpayers to steal COVID-19 relief funds and tax refunds. Researchers have seen an increase in activity against taxpayers and on underground hacker forums. Their goal is to fraudulently get COVID-19 relief funds. Some of these efforts include getting paperwork that was insecurely thrown out in the trash. Customer data culled from that paperwork then ends up on illicit online markets where it is bought and resold.
The scams come in several forms, according to researchers. One way is to trick taxpayers into give up their information and create phony tax forms in advertisements shared on social media and other online platforms. Other attacks were more typical phishing campaigns, in which cybercriminals use emails with attached phishing pages disguised as the IRS tax forms required for stimulus checks.
Researchers have seen a flurry of activity on hacking forums that deal in various versions of taxpayer fraud related to CARES act relief payouts and tax refunds. One scam involves hackers selling detailed, personal information of the deceases in order to file fake tax returns. A cybercriminal with deceased individual's data could file a fraudulent tax return for the victim and claim an applicable stimulus payment and tax refunds.
To avoid falling victim to these emerging threats, researchers recommend using typical security best practices such as multi-factor authentication. Also report any fraudulent activity to the IRS as well as a credit agency to mitigate damage.