By e-mail now we get everything: documentation from public and private institutions, tax authorities, local administrations, organizations of various kinds. There are several official communications that reach us thanks to email, especially via mobile, and digital frauds are on the agenda. The cyber criminals around the world have long targeted these "official communications", because they know that when an email arrives from the Revenue Agency and the bank it ends up that many of us open it, following the instructions contained . They range from requesting new documents, updating personal data, up to the order for payment due to tax delays or even, on the contrary, to the reimbursement offer. Certainly no one remains indifferent to such messages, coming from sources of even institutional importance, and that perhaps announce the unexpected arrival of money (something that should already give rise to more than one suspicion). This is the skilful work of online scammers who exploit local tax systems with the sole purpose of seizing huge amounts of personal information from unsuspecting users. In a new report by Kaspersky Lab, with cases of phishing attacks detected in several countries, such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Hungary and Russia, it has emerged that this type of attacks is increasing.
In commentary on the survey, Nadezhda Demidova, Lead Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky Lab, said: “; People trust government websites and since tax matters typically involve sharing large amounts of personal information, a an authentic-looking message, which asks to share personal data, does not always arouse suspicion ”. In 2016, in the months leading up to the end of the fiscal year, notable spikes of online phishing with taxes as a central focus were detected in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The following year, an increasing number of attacks were detected using authentic-looking fake tax authority online sites promising a tax refund. Obviously, the manager explained, "not all taxpayers can recognize a scam and even expert internet users can be deceived by the promise of a tax refund", therefore, the note reads, the recommendation is always to "deal with any offer of online money with a good dose of skepticism and to enter the official website of the tax service of their country in the favorites section of their browser to avoid being deceived by phishers ”.
The goal of cyber criminals, we remember, is to steal as much sensitive information as possible from network users, starting from people's identities to money, "luring them to fake websites of government agencies deemed reliable". When we talk about sensitive information and private data, we are referring precisely to bank cards (including PIN code), social security number, driver's license number, address, telephone number, date of birth, surname from unmarried mother and employer. Cybercriminals also recover the IP address and system information with the help of malicious devices. Among the most useful tips to avoid nasty surprises, the document suggests to always check the web address when you receive the request to enter your credentials, not to get lost in front of threatening messages (phishers exploit first of all the fear, the unfamiliarity with the topic and the user's anxiety), never spontaneously offer our personal information to anyone, do not click without reflecting on the links in emails from unknown people or in unexpected messages.