Experts Warn Of New Tax E-Mail Scam Called Trickbot, Give Tips On How To Avoid Being Hacked
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Monday is Tax Day, the last day to file your returns with the IRS, and security experts are warning of a new scam that's fooling many Americans across the country.
Caleb Barlow and the "X-Force" team at IBM in Cambridge, Massachusetts are tracking scammers all over the world.
"We collect about 35 million spam messages a day, we track bots, we look for all kinds of malicious activity," Barlow, the VP of Threat Intelligence with IBM Security said.
This tax season, they've spotted a new scam called Trickbot.
Consumers and businesses are getting emails that appear to be sent from reputable accounting, tax and payroll firms or people you may trust, like an accountant.
IBM's Etay Maor teaches people how to prevent and recognize hacks.
He says the scam emails come with attachments that can infect your computer with malware.
"Unfortunately, people still click on emails and links that they're not familiar with or shouldn't be doing which is why these tricks still work and are still out there," said Maor.
A simple click can give scammers access your computer.
"What they're waiting for you to do is go to your bank account," Barlow explained. "And they're gonna capture your credentials as you log into your bank account."
Barlow says there are ways to spot a fake email, such as it being from a dot-email instead of a dot-com.
His advice is simple. If you're not sure, don't click on it.
Experts say that simple mistakes can add up.
These types of attacks annually cost taxpayers at least $1.5 billion dollars.
