Technology

Don’t fall for these sneaky tax scams that are out to steal your identity and money

Published

11 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Don’t fall for these sneaky tax scams that are out to steal your identity and money

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Tax season isn’t fun for most people, but it can be downright miserable if you fall for a scam. This year, there’s been a noticeable uptick in scam callers impersonating IRS officials, and with the rise of AI-voice programs, these scams have become more convincing than ever.

The IRS flagged 2.4 million tax returns with refunds totaling roughly $13.8 billion for possible identity theft. Identity thieves use stolen information — like your SSN, name, address and more — to file fraudulent tax returns in your name.

Meanwhile, the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Scam Tracker collects reports on tax scams from the public. For scams reported as tax collection to BBB’s Scam Tracker in 2023, the median dollar loss was $2,100.

Here are some of the scams the BBB warns you to look out for this tax season.

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“Tax time” post-it on tax documents. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

1. Phone scams

Scammers pretend to be someone from the IRS and call you to ask to make back payments or send over personal information that can’t be found in the IRS system. They often pressure you to act immediately, threatening arrest or fines if you don’t comply.

In 2024, phone scammers have gotten so sophisticated that they will create fake badge numbers, get a fake caller ID name that appears to be from the government or leave official-sounding robocalls with the help of AI voiceovers.

NEW IRS CRACKDOWN ON ‘HIGH-INCOME’ TAX CHEATS OWING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS

2. Phishing email scams

Phishing emails are scam emails designed to get personal information from you. Scammers will text, email or even message you on social media, claiming to be an IRS agent, and they will send you a link to a fake IRS website designed to steal your Social Security number and other sensitive personal data. Always remember: the IRS will never communicate with you via email but instead by physical USPS mail.

A person preparing their tax documents. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3. Signs of tax-related identity theft

1. If you try to file your tax return by mail and receive a letter from the IRS stating that they have already received a return in your name, that could mean your identity has been compromised.

2. Also, if you go to file your tax return electronically and the IRS alerts you that someone filed for your return using your Social Security number, then you have likely been a victim of identity theft.

3. Lastly, if the IRS sends you a letter stating that you have created a new online account and you know you didn’t do this, that is a dead giveaway that your identity may have been stolen.

Tax documents. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: THE URGENT PAYPAL EMAIL SCAM YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO IGNORE

Stay safe with these 8 tips from the Better Business Bureau

Tip 1 – File early

Filing early is one of the most sure-fire ways to keep yourself safe during tax season. If you file as soon as possible, there’s less of a chance someone can steal your identity by filing your taxes before you do. Always make sure to have all of your tax documents ready when you start to file.

Tip 2 – Know how the real IRS will contact you

The IRS doesn’t send emails, and their agents will never text you or contact you on social media. Typically, the IRS will only contact you through postage mail, but there is a chance that an IRS agent may perform an in-person visit, but only after confirming the visit via postage mail.

Tip 3 – Get an identity protection PIN (IP PIN) from the IRS

An easy way to add an extra layer of security to yourself is by getting an Identity Protection PIN, or IP-PIN, from the IRS. An IP-PIN is a six-digit number that the IRS uses to confirm your identity. It can help identify you even when someone nefarious has accessed your Tax ID and Social Security number. Signing up for an IP-PIN is easy and can be done online at IRS.gov, and the IRS will mail you a new IP-PIN after you opt-in every December.

Calculator and tax documents. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: BEWARE OF THE ‘SAY YES’ PHONE SCAM

Tip 4 – Know how the IRS accepts payments

The IRS never demands immediate payment and will never ask for a credit card number or bank information over the phone. Never, under any circumstances, pay any money to someone claiming to be an IRS agent asking for cryptocurrency, digital gift cards or wire transfers.

Tip 5 – Know the signs of fraud

If the IRS informs you that either your return has already been filed or that you received wages from an employer you aren’t familiar with, you need to visit an IRS office in person as soon as possible to ensure you haven’t fallen victim to fraud.

Tip 6 – Protect your information

Ensure you keep all documents related to your taxes in a secure location, such as a home filing cabinet or on a password-protected computer. Generally, never give out your Social Security number unless absolutely necessary.

Tip 7 – Only use secure filing websites

Always make sure you are accessing the real IRS website by checking that the URL is spelled correctly. Look for the lock symbol next to the URL in your browser’s search bar to tell you that your connection to the IRS’s website is secure.

Tip 8 – Report any suspected scams

If you receive a phone call or email asking for important tax information, hang up immediately. Report the call first to the IRS. Next, you should make a report to the Federal Communications Commission. Finally, head to the Better Business Bureau and report the scam to their scam tracker.

Person upset by what he sees. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: HOW SCAMMERS USE GOOGLE VOICE VERIFICATION CODES TO STEAL YOUR IDENTITY AND MONEY

5 things to do if you are a victim of identity theft

1. Complete IRS Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit: This is the form that all victims of fraud have to fill out for the IRS. This will let them know that the person who is claiming to be you is a fraud. You can find the form on the IRS website.

2. Request a copy of the fraudulent tax return from the IRS: You can do this by going to this page on the IRS website on dealing with fraudulent returns and following the instructions to order a copy.

3. Alert national credit bureaus: Let the national bureaus like Experian, Equifax and TransUnion know that there has been fraud and place a freeze on your account so that the scammers cannot get to it.

4. Report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission: The FTC is there to help track down scammers, and your report can also help them keep a record of how many scams are happening in a single year so that they can better improve how to warn others. You should also report the crime to identitytheft.gov

5. Check your online bank accounts: Make sure there aren’t any suspicious transactions on any of your accounts.

A woman is upset while preparing her taxes. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: TOP WAYS TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FRAUD

How can you protect yourself from tax-related identity theft?

Use an identity theft protection service: Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.

One of the best parts of using some services is that they might include identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white glove fraud resolution team where a U.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Have good antivirus software: The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Going from winter into spring may seem like an intense time with scammers due to the tax season immediately following the holiday shopping season. However, the reality is that scammers work around the clock and are active all year. These tips from the Better Business Bureau are a helpful reminder of ways to keep yourself safe from scammers throughout the year.

How do you feel about the rise of AI-voice programs and their use in phone scams? Does it make you not even want to pick up the phone? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

Technology

Fox News AI Newsletter: AI health tech will transform your fitness routine

Published

6 minutes ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– Best cutting-edge health and fitness tech from CES 2025

– Nvidia pushes back on Biden admin’s ‘misguided’ AI order

– Biden White House announces ‘final rule’ on AI chip exports before Trump hand-off, drawing industry blowback

FUTURE HEALTH TECH: CES 2025 has once again showcased a remarkable array of health and fitness technology that promises to transform our well-being.

‘UNPRECEDENTED AND MISGUIDED’: Tech giant Nvidia is pushing back on a new executive order by the Biden administration that seeks to prevent artificial intelligence technologies developed in the U.S. from falling into the hands of adversarial countries.

‘CHIP’ ON THEIR SHOULDER: The Biden White House on Monday announced its “final rule” placing export controls on artificial intelligence chips before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week, drawing swift condemnation from industry leaders who argue the Democratic administration is effectively undermining America’s leadership in the emerging technology.

FILE – Amazon Web Services data center is seen on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

‘LEAD THE WORLD’: President Biden on Tuesday signed an ambitious executive order that he says will keep both national security and climate change in mind while fast-tracking the build-out of large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States.

HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN: A select group of tech industry titans and venture capitalists will gather in Washington, D.C., this week to welcome the incoming Trump administration and celebrate new opportunities for global innovation in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.

CUTTING-EDGE HUMANOID TECH: Chinese startup Pudu Robotics has unveiled its latest creation, the D9 humanoid robot, designed to revolutionize the way we work and interact with machines.

D9 humanoid robot (Pudu Robotics)

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Technology

Honor’s Magic 7 Pro looks flagship through and through

Published

8 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Honor’s Magic 7 Pro looks flagship through and through

Honor’s flagship Magic 7 Pro launches in the UK and Europe today, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and protected by top-tier water-resistance. It also features a high resolution 200 megapixel telephoto camera.

Arriving a week after the OnePlus 13 and a week before we expect to meet Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones, the Magic 7 Pro is among the first phones to release outside of China with Qualcomm’s new chipset inside. That makes it one of the most powerful phones on the market, especially with 12GB of RAM. It also features a sizable 5,270mAh battery built around a silicon-carbon chemistry, allowing it to pack more energy into a smaller space with the Magic 7 Pro measuring just 8.8mm thick.

Much like the new OnePlus phone — and, unexpectedly, Motorola’s $299.99 Moto G Power, which launched in the US yesterday — the Magic 7 Pro is both IP68 and IP69-rated. That means that in addition to the usual protection from dust and submersion in water, it should survive exposure to steam and high-pressure water jets — ideal if you regularly use your phone in a jacuzzi, probably overkill for the rest of us.

Yup, it’s thin,

Image: Honor

Also unusual is the phone’s 200 megapixel 3x periscopic camera. We’ve seen megapixel counts as high as this before, but mostly on main cameras, not zoom lenses — with the exception of Vivo’s X100 Ultra and X200 Pro. It’s bolstered by an AI Super Zoom feature that kicks in at 30x zoom for added clarity, with this and a few other camera AI modes using a combination of on-device and cloud-based large language models to fine-tune images.

There’s even more AI than that, since it ships with Android 15 and Google’s Gemini AI app, which Honor has bolstered with its own AI-powered takes on translation and notes apps.

The Magic 7 Pro launched in China last November, but this is its first appearance outside of the country. Honor is one of several Chinese smartphone manufacturers that saw growth in global market share in 2024, thanks in part to last year’s flagship Magic 6 series and the Magic V3, still the thinnest foldable phone available.

Honor Magic 7 Lite.

Image: Honor

For its European launch the Pro is joined by the Magic 7 Lite, a midrange handset that uses the comparatively sluggish Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip and arrives still running Android 14. The selling point of that phone is its enormous 6,600mAh battery, which Honor claims will run for three days. There’s no sign of the regular Magic 7, which launched alongside the Pro in China.

The Magic 7 Pro is available to order now from honor.com starting at £1,099.99 / €1,299 (about $1,340), with major retailers and local carriers set to stock it too. The Magic 7 Lite is much cheaper at £399.99 / €369, and also available now.

Technology

Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Published

8 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

You might have heard about electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Well, there’s some exciting news coming from Jetson, a Swedish startup that’s making waves in the air racing scene. While Australia’s Airspeeder has been working on crewed eVTOL races, Jetson founder and CTO Tomasz Patan recently took the spotlight with a demonstration that many are calling the start of the world’s first eVTOL air racing.

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Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Airspeeder’s ambitions

Airspeeder has been building momentum since 2017, aiming to establish world championship races with their striking eVTOL aircraft. However, their current races involve remote-controlled vehicles, with pilots safely on the ground. Enter Jetson, who has now demonstrated a crewed flight around a racing pylon, albeit with just one aircraft.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

EVTOL PROTOTYPE PROMISES 150 MPH CITY-TO-CITY HOPS

The Jetson One: A game changer

The star of this show is the Jetson One, a personal eVTOL designed for agility and performance. In a recent video, Patan showcases the aircraft’s nimble capabilities by navigating around a 26-foot-tall pylon. While this demonstration does not quite constitute a full race, it offers a tantalizing preview of what eVTOL racing could look like. Here are some key features of the Jetson One:

Dimensions: 8.86 x 5.25 x 3.67 feet
Top speed: Software-limited to 63 mph
Flight time: 20 minutes per charge
Power source: High-discharge Li-ion batteries
Control: Joystick-operated
Maximum altitude: Over 1,500 feet (~460 m)
Pilot requirements: No license needed in the U.S.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

THIS FLYING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BREAKS RECORD WITH 523-MILE NONSTOP FLIGHT

Market response and future plans

The market response to the Jetson One has been remarkable. The company has already confirmed sales of more than 470 units and is now taking orders for the 2026 batch. To secure your place in line, you’ll need to make a non-refundable deposit of $8,000, with the full price tag coming in at $128,000.

Jetson claims that their eVTOL is user-friendly, stating that pilots can master the aircraft in under 60 minutes of flight practice, along with eight simulator sessions. This accessibility could be a game-changer in the personal aviation market.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

REVOLUTIONARY FLYING CAR PROMISES HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND 3-HOUR FLIGHTS

Safety and regulatory considerations

While the prospect of personal eVTOLs and air racing is thrilling, it also raises important safety and regulatory questions. Jetson has implemented several safety features, including:

A race car-inspired safety cell design
The ability to fly safely with the loss of one motor
Hands-free hover and emergency functions
A ballistic parachute with rapid deployment

In terms of regulations, Jetson has made progress, securing two flight permits in Italy for personal eVTOL travel in uncontrolled airspace in fall 2023. However, comprehensive racing regulations are yet to be defined.

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The competition: Airspeeder and beyond

While Jetson has made headlines with this demonstration, it’s worth noting that Airspeeder isn’t far behind. They have already created teams and held aerial events, albeit with remote-controlled eVTOLs. Their aircraft boasts impressive specifications, including a top speed of 124 mph and a power-to-weight ratio comparable to Formula 1 cars.

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Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

The demonstration by Jetson marks a significant milestone in the evolution of personal aviation and air racing. While it does not yet represent a full-fledged race, it is a tangible step towards a future where eVTOL racing could become a reality. As we look to the skies, it is clear that the race for eVTOL supremacy is just beginning.

What are your thoughts on the future of eVTOL racing and personal aviation after reading about Jetson and Airspeeder? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.