EFIN scam targets tax professionals

The IRS will hold webinars for tax professionals next week to help them avoid a scam email that tries to steal electronic filing identification numbers (EFINs) to gain access to client data and tax preparers’ identities.

The scheme creates the potential for scammers to file fraudulent tax returns for refunds, the IRS said.

The scammers impersonate software companies and say in the email that they need EFIN documents for a required verification to transmit tax returns. The IRS said it has received dozens of reports of the scam.

“This scam serves as a powerful reminder that tax professionals should ensure strong security at their practices, including reminding employees to be careful with any emails coming in that could be posing as an official communication,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement.

Details about the webinars, which will be held Feb. 12–16, are available on the IRS website.

Tax pros who receive the scam email should report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. They also should send the email as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov.

The IRS says that tax professionals who suspect data theft has occurred should report it to their local IRS stakeholder liaison.

— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Martha Waggoner at Martha.Waggoner@aicpa-cima.com.