IR-2017-120, July 18, 2017 Español

WASHINGTON — The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry today warned tax professionals that account takeovers by cybercriminals are on the rise and practitioners increasingly are the targets.
Account takeovers occur when a thief manages to steal or guess the username and password of a tax professional, enabling access of their computers or their other online accounts. With these credentials, thieves can, for example, access a tax professional's IRS e-Services account to steal their Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) or access tax pro software account to obtain critical taxpayer information.

“We urge tax professionals to be on the lookout for the warning signs of these schemes and many others that can contribute to data loss and identity theft,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “A few simple steps can protect tax professionals as well as their clients.”

Increasing awareness about account takeovers is part of the “Don't Take the Bait” campaign aimed at tax professionals. This is the second part of a special 10-week series aimed at increasing security awareness in the tax community. It is part of the Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself effort. The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry, working together as the Security Summit, urge practitioners to learn to protect themselves from account takeovers.

Tax professionals and taxpayers are among a larger set of groups that face increased threats from account takeovers.

Javelin Strategy and Research conducts an annual identity fraud report. In 2017, it reported a surge in account takeover incidents nationwide – generally aimed at financial accounts – after years of decline. There was a 31 percent increase in the number of incidents for 2016 from 2015. Read the full article here.