The US Internal Revenue Service warns about a major increase in phishing and malware spam schemes

The US Internal Revenue Service (the governmental entity responsible for tax collection and tax law enforcement) announced, in a consumer alert, that it has observed a 400% increase in phishing and malware spam schemes aimed at obtaining personal and financial information from users in the US. According to the agency, cited by AccountingWeb, 1026 phishing and malware incidents were reported in January 2016, compared to 254 in January 2015. Such schemes are designed to make users believe they are receiving official communications from the IRS or companies in the tax industries, therefore tricking them into sharing personal and financial information. The spam emails in question can also carry malware that give attackers access to users’ devices and to information processed through such devices.