PA State Department of Revenue Warns of Phishing Scam
Pennsylvania’s State Department of Revenue has issued a warning to tax professionals in preparation for upcoming phishing scams. Some may think it is a bit premature; however, a recent phishing scam was exploiting just that.
According to Fox 43, the newest scam email claimed to be from “e-Services Registration” and used “Important Update about Your e-Services Account” in the subject line. The email was informing users the terms of the license agreement had been changed, and all existing users needed to review and accept the newly drafted agreement. Upon clicking on the link to do so, users were taken to a fake website.
If you or anyone you know has fallen victim to this, it is important to conduct a complete scan through the security solution provider. This should detect and remove any form of malware installed on the device due to this malicious attack. Users are also encouraged to contact the IRS e-Help Desk.
To avoid falling victim to phishing scams, PC Matic encourages users to do the following:
- Do not open emails from people or businesses you do not know.
- If an offer is “too good to be true”, it likely is.
- Review the “Sent from” and “Reply to” address. Often times they are not the same in phishing emails.
- Do not click on a link or attachment unless you are expecting the email, and the sender has confirmed they were going to send it to you to begin with.
- Disable Macros. Often times phishing emails require macros to be enabled for the attachment to open and the malware to execute.
