INFOGRAPHIC: Tax season attracts online criminals

Taxpayers are advised to beware online scammers fishing for their next catch, Rekord East reports.

The tax season opened on 1 July and for many it was an opportunity to file tax returns for a refund.

However, sensitive financial data is everywhere: taxes filed online, taxpayers accessing banking and investment information, and personal financial records sitting on hard drives.

Internet security solutions company Eset Southern Africa CEO Carey van Vlaanderen said people who let their guard down during the rush to get their taxes done were susceptible to online scams such as identity theft.

He said identity thieves often send fake emails, purportedly from Sars, to trick victims into disclosing personal information.

“Your financial identity is yours and yours alone.”

He gave tips on how to avoid being a victim of online crime while filing your taxes.

– Sweep your computer before you access or transmit financial data: Before you work on your taxes, work with financial data on your computer, or visit banking or financial sites, update your antivirus/anti-malware software and run a scan.

– Use only a secure browser when banking or shopping online.

Every bit of personal information is potentially useful to a crook. A banking site, shopping site, or any other site that trades in personal financial data should support secure, encrypted browsing. Any site that doesn’t, simply isn’t worth the risk.

– Don’t give out any personal financial information unless you have logged into the banking or SARS site directly.

If you get an email from a bank, shopping site, or any other source that asks you to verify your password or enter personal information, don’t click on the link. Type the site’s URL into the address bar yourself and log in or use the phone to contact them.

– Log out of SARS e-filing or banking sessions as soon as you’ve finished

Leaving a session open while you do other work on your computer, take a phone call, or step away from your computer is an open invitation for crooks, and they don’t have to have control of your computer to hijack your session.