In the last week, Forcepoint Security Lab’s observation have identified a tax-themed phishing email sent to around 700 recipients in the UK, just one of many medium-sized email campaigns that have appeared since the start of this year. Last month, a warning was issued to Northwich residents in the United Kingdom regarding a HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) phishing scam, while the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a similar warning to US tax payers.
UK recipients have been the most targeted, followed by Australia. Ireland, United States, France and Canada, with particular emphasis in government and education sectors with the aim of obtaining personal information and credit card details.
Carl Leonard, Principal Security Analyst at Forcepoint:
“Tax payers’ financial status makes them an attractive target for cyber criminals which could explain the increasing number of scams. Tax-themed malicious emails have proven to be an effective vehicle for a number of scams from phishing and web spam to spreading malware.”
Users can avoid such scams by keeping up with public warnings and being vigilant on activities concerning taxes. Tax payers should always contact their local government for verification, if unsure of its source.”
More information on this is available on the Forcepoint blog:
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