Franchot to tax professionals: Beware of ‘phishing email scam’
Comptroller Peter Franchot urged Maryland tax professionals and taxpayers to exercise caution in the face of a ‘phishing email scam’ that makes the state’s residents vulnerable to identity theft.
“We need every tax professional and taxpayer to keep a close eye on emails that they receive and to make sure every precaution is taken to prevent becoming a victim of these scammers,” Franchot said in a statement Friday.
The statement said that according to the IRS the scam involves email offers for software updates by parties masquerading as tax software providers. Acceptance of the updates results in the theft of usernames and passwords which in turn enables scammers to obtain personal information such as Social Security numbers.
Maryland taxpayers are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the Comptroller’s Office:
1-800-MD-TAXES
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.