QuickBooks Scams: Easily Identify Phishing and Fraudulent Activity
QuickBooks scams are increasingly common due to the popularity of this software. In fact, Intuit email scams can be very difficult to distinguish from the genuine communication. In this article we will show you how to recognize fraudulent emails and phone calls.
QuickBooks is a cloud-based accountancy software owned by Intuit, that allows small and medium-sized businesses to keep track of financial functions like income, expenses, inventory, and employee payroll. It gives a real-time financial landscape for any business that uses it and keeps track of any outstanding invoices or bills that still need to be paid. It allows companies to see everything accounting-related in one place, which makes bookkeeping quick and efficient.
But like anything that is cloud or technology-based, cybercriminals and fraudsters will try and scam people using phishing, spam, hoax emails or fraudulent activity to retrieve people’s banking or credit card information. They will also use links to send malware and viruses into people’s computers. Both of which no one wants to happen.
When using any technology or software, users must be aware and vigilant when entering any personal details, especially if it is banking or credit card information. There are several ways to ensure that your information is only given to reputable sources and that no malware will ever enter your device.
How to Spot QuickBooks Scam Emails?
While most of the time, suspicious emails can be spotted easily by most people, but cybercriminals are becoming better at replicating official sites to confuse or convince people that they are, indeed, the company the criminals are trying to portray. Sometimes the fraudulent emails are so well-designed that they are even linked to the official company.
Intuit email scams can contain a range of different information, trying to lure you in to either click on links that release malware or try to entice you to enter your bank card or banking information. Some email topics could include QuickBooks emergency security updates and correspondence about QuickBooks discounts that do not exist.
Intuit has given users a guide to ensure they have a safe and efficient experience when using their software.
- Intuit will never after for any personal information from their users through email.
- Any official emails will come from two email addresses, either @intuit.com or @e.intuit.com. If any links are present within the emails, they will always have an intuit.com address.
Fraudulent QuickBooks Invoices
Like, fraudulent emails, fraudulent invoices are other phishing scams used by cybercriminals. These invoices look just like real QuickBooks invoices, but all genuine invoices from services you have used are always from the domain intuit.com, just like any email correspondence from QuickBooks. Before you click on the link and add your financial information, ensure the invoice is from a company you recognise.
Using these tips will ensure that any Intuit email scams will be caught in time and that your information remains safe. By being vigilant and aware, it will stop cybercriminals from gaining access to you or your information.
How to Avoid QuickBooks Customer Support Scams?
Another QuickBooks scam that is circulating regarding QuickBooks is a customer support scam. These work by convincing you that there is an issue with your computer and then offering to fix it. But in order to fix it, they need access to your computer and, in turn, all your information and finances. This may also be an opportunity to plant malware and viruses in your computer.
Intuit will never contact any customer about an issue with their customer’s computers, so if you receive an offer like this, please do not click on any links.
How to Recognise QuickBooks Scam Customer Support Phone Calls?
Along with correspondence through emails, cybercriminals will use phone calls pretending to be customer service representatives for QuickBooks. During these phone calls, they could use a number of stories to try and commit fraud. These stories would include asking you to renew your QuickBooks licence, stating you have a billing issue and offering you a discount that can only be accepted on this phone call.
Intuit has stated that QuickBooks would never call their customers for any of these reasons, so if you receive a call like this, hang up straightaway as they are trying to complete a phishing scam.
Millions of people globally use QuickBooks as an excellent way to keep their accountancy and bookkeeping organised. It is an incredibly useful tool for many businesses, and throughout your time using QuickBooks, you will receive and generate a significant number of invoices. Cybercriminals send hundreds and thousands of these phishing emails in the hope that a small percentage fall for their scam. If you do receive an unexpected invoice, email, or phone call from QuickBooks, use the checklist previously stated to check if it looks like a Quickbooks scam. If you are still not sure, then ring or contact QuickBooks customer service, which will be able to verify the correspondence.
As internet-based technology grows, we will see a lot more of these types of phishing and fraudulent scams. They are going to get harder to distinguish between fraud and a legitimate email or phone call, but by being aware and responsible, no untoward activity should be able to penetrate your financials, sensitive information or personal devices.
If you are a business owner and would like to minimize email communication at your company, consider getting a client portal. Client portals allow you to securely store internal and customer documents in the cloud, eliminating most of email communication thanks to their ability to securely request documents from customers and partners, notify customers about important documents and request electronic signatures via the portal. Check out Clinked white label client portal.
