In this issue:

• Threat of the week: Tax refund scams abound!

• Travel risk: Dangers at airports

• Survey: How can I help? (I really want to know in this short survey)

Tax refund scams abound!

Tax season is here along with the scammers trying to take your money! There are many ways they are doing this, so please read all the different approaches they are using and then forward this newsletter on to your family and friends for them to take precautions too. For those of you with a refund coming, file early! For those of you that owe taxes, you are off the hook this year but there are thousands of other scams and threats out there for me to tell you about each week so read each newsletter carefully.

Emails and text messages may look legitimate with the mention of a “tax rebate” or “refund payment.” But no matter what the text says, it’s a scammer trying to get your information through a technique called “phishing” (for more information, see the US Federal Trade Commission website: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/small-businesses/cybersecurity/phishing).

If you click on a link to claim “your refund,” you’re exposing yourself to identity theft (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-identity-theft) or malware (https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-remove-avoid-malware) that the scammer could install on your phone or computer.

If someone contacts you about a refund or tax rebate:

• Know that the IRS won’t email, text, or call you for the first time. They’ll always start by sending you a letter. If you want to confirm, call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040.

• Never click on links in unexpected emails or texts.

• Find the status of any pending refund on the IRS official website. Visit Where’s My Refund (https://www.irs.gov/wheres-my-refund).

• Report unsolicited texts or emails claiming to be the IRS. Forward a screenshot or the email as an attachment to [email protected].

If you clicked a link in one of these text or emails and shared personal information, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov (https://identitytheft.gov/) to get a customized recovery plan based on what information you shared.

I didn’t have any personal screen captures to include this time. If you have any from a scammer, please send it to [email protected]. Please don’t forward any sensitive information and I’ll also remove any sensitive information I see before I post as an update to this article.

Dangers at airports

I’m at airports nearly every week and I have to remain ultra-aware of the risks lurking in every airport. Here are a few things to be vigilant about so your phone or financials aren’t compromised.

1. Beware “free” wifi. Almost every airport has free wifi, but you need to make sure you are using the official airport wifi. The best ways to find out which one to use is look for signs in the airport or check their official website. For example, the San Francisco website say their wifi is named “#SFO FREE WIFI” (https://www.flysfo.com/passengers/services-amenities/wi-fi) so if I see a wifi named “SFO-WIFI” or “#SFO FREE WIFI1” then I should be worried that someone is pretending to be the airport wifi. In future newsletters I will talk about VPNs (a technical way to secure the information sent by your phone or computer), but for now just know to be careful.

2. Don’t talk about sensitive or confidential information. I know this seems obvious, but I hear people on phone calls all the time talking about information that should be told privately. Don’t ever read your credit card number over the phone to someone if there are people around. This happens more than you think because people are trying to replan trips when there’s been a delay.

3. Don’t use the USB charging ports (unless you have a special USB data blocking device). The USB ports can be compromised with a technique called “juice jacking” as per this FCC alert (https://www.fcc.gov/juice-jacking-tips-to-avoid-it). This advice applies to any USB you see at malls, coffee shops, etc. Instead use a power charger and if you don’t have one, ask to borrow one for a few minutes. Just a few weeks ago I leant my charger and power convertor to someone while I was at the Frankfurt airport. I always pack a power bank and power charger in my purse or backpack just in case my luggage is required to be stowed in the cargo hold. USB data blocker on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lkVbz6

“How can I help you” Survey

Can you take 2-3 minutes and let me know how I can help you? This survey is super quick and I’d really appreciate your help.

Google survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2kmVgrRLvOjISbEr1nWfaefyA6rU8g2qHAYKnCa0E3VAkQg/viewform

Thank you so much!!!

Sincerely,
Cassie Crossley
Founder, Cyber Safe Center
https://www.cybersafecenter.com