Security News > 2023 > April > April brings tulips, taxes ... and phisherfolk scammers

The last few days of America's tax season are stressful enough, dealing with deadlines and, increasingly, online scams.

Threat researchers at cybersecurity firm Securonix said the gang - which may be based in Russia - sends emails containing a password-protected zip file with names that sound like they could be tax-related, such as TitleContractDocs.

As with most phishing scams, the problems begin when the victim clicks on the zip file.

Inside are two files, a single image file - usually a.png file - and a shortcut file.

Tax season in the US typically is a busy time for scammers, given the huge amounts of personal, financial, and corporate data being collected and sent around, the mounting pressure of approaching filing deadlines, and the possibility of stealing tax refunds.

More than 90 percent of tax returns are filed online, according to the IRS. Most common are phishing campaigns or miscreants pretending to be IRS or other government personnel.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/04/03/tax_season_phishing_scam/