Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Security, Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy

Tax season is upon us, and so are the scammers who want your refund and personal information. This tax season may be especially challenging with changes to the tax code and the impact of the pandemic. Taxpayers may have more questions and concerns than usual. The good news is that there are strategies you can use to protect your information.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will never contact taxpayers by email, telephone, or social media. If you receive a telephone call purporting to be from the IRS, assume it’s a scam and disconnect the call. You can report these contacts to the IRS (see below). 

The IRS will never demand payment via a phone call, text message, or social media post. They will also not demand payment using gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin. Any such demands are fraudulent.

If you are using a home computer to access tax documents, ensure that your antivirus software, operating system, and browsers are up to date. The University makes antivirus software available to active, eligible affiliates of the University  free of charge. Keep your PennKey password secure: do not share it with anyone under any circumstances. Any sites that use Penn Weblogin use Two-Step Verification to provide extra security when you use your PennKey.

Identify and report IRS scams: https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing

Symantec Antivirus software: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/symantec-endpoint-protection

Two-Step Verification quick start: https://upenn.edu/twostep

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead