security freeze – Page 2 – Computer Security Articles

File Your Taxes Before Scammers Do It For You

January 29, 2018 admin Equifax, Get Transcript, irs, security freeze, tax refun fraud, tax refund fraud, The Coming Storm

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 14:44:23 +0000

Today, Jan. 29, is officially the first day of the 2018 tax-filing season, also known as the day that fraudsters start requesting phony tax refunds in the names of identity theft victims. Want to minimize the chances of getting hit by tax refund fraud this year? File your taxes before the bad guys can! Tax refund fraud affects hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of U.S. citizens annually. Victims usually first learn of the crime after having their returns rejected because scammers beat them to it. Even those who are not required to file a return can be victims of refund fraud, as can those who are not actually due a refund from the IRS.

Independent Krebs

Breach at Equifax May Impact 143M Americans

September 9, 2017 admin credit monitoring, Equifax breach, Other, security freeze

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2017 22:30:50 +0000

Equifax, one of the “big-three” U.S. credit bureaus, said today that a data breach at the company may have affected 143 million Americans, jeopardizing consumer Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and some driver’s license numbers.

Independent Krebs

Govt. Cybersecurity Contractor Hit in W-2 Phishing Scam

March 17, 2017 admin Accenture, data loss prevention, Defense Point Security, DLP, George McKenzie, IP PIN, Other, security freeze, tax refund fraud, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, w-2 phishing

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2017 22:02:02 +0000

Just a friendly reminder that phishing scams which spoof the boss and request W-2 tax data on employees are intensifying as tax time nears. The latest victim shows that even cybersecurity experts can fall prey to these increasingly sophisticated attacks. On Thursday, March 16, the CEO of Defense Point Security, LLP — a Virginia company that bills itself as “the choice provider of cyber security services to the federal government” — told all employees that their W-2 tax data was handed directly to fraudsters after someone inside the company got caught in a phisher’s net.