"Do Not Open the 'Last Warning' Email Under Any Circumstances"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] As the year-end tax settlement season approaches, phishing emails impersonating the National Tax Service (NTS) are being indiscriminately distributed, prompting tax authorities to urge heightened caution.

According to the NTS and AhnLab on the 17th, this email, sent under the subject "Final Warning," informs recipients that their login password will expire on the day of receipt and advises them to maintain their password before the account is locked. It then prompts recipients to click a URL labeled "Maintain the same password" within the email body.

When the URL is clicked and the user logs in, the recipient’s account information is leaked to the cyber attacker’s server. Notably, the email sender address is set as "hometaxadmin@hometax.go.kr," disguising the email as if it were sent from the NTS Hometax service during the year-end tax settlement season to deceive recipients.

Earlier, on the 15th, the NTS launched the year-end tax settlement simplification service, allowing workers to check and download simplified documents via Hometax. An NTS official stated, "We urge caution when checking emails related to year-end tax settlement."

AhnLab emphasized, "Attackers meticulously craft emails impersonating various companies to deceive users, so it is important to avoid opening emails sent from untrusted senders."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.