It’s March.

Your accountant is overloaded. Your bookkeeper is scrambling. Deadlines are tight. Emails are flying.

Everyone is just trying to get through the month.

That isn’t news to you. But it isn’t news to hackers either.

Security researchers consistently see a noticeable increase in tax-themed phishing attempts during busy filing months, with March bringing roughly a 28% increase in tax-related scam emails compared to slower times of year.

Hackers don’t attack when you’re calm and methodical.
They attack when you’re overwhelmed and distracted.

That’s not a coincidence.

It’s actually strategic timing.

Here’s what’s coming, along with four ways to make sure your business isn’t the easy target.

Hackers Don’t Just Target Accountants

Here’s something a lot of businesses overlook:

Cybercriminals don’t only go after accounting firms. They target the entire ecosystem around them.

During tax season:

• Clients are rushing to send sensitive documents.
• Staff members skip normal verification steps to keep up.
• “Just send it over” replaces careful review.
• Verification gets skipped because people are busy

The whole supply chain speeds up. And speed creates opportunity.

Hackers understand human behavior. They know that when inboxes are full and deadlines are looming, people scan instead of read. People assume instead of verify; they react instead of pause.

They don’t need you to be reckless. They just need you to be busy.

And March is so busy.

What These Tax Season Scams Actually Look Like

This isn’t a dramatic Hollywood movie plot.

It’s a simple, believable email.

This is what businesses commonly see in March:

• An email from “your accountant” asking you to resend W-2s because the file didn’t come through
• A message from a vendor saying their banking information has changed and needs to be updated immediately
• A DocuSign request for a tax document that “must be signed today”
• An urgent note from “your CEO” who’s traveling and needs a quick wire transfer

None of these feel suspicious.

They feel like normal business during tax season.

That’s why they work.

The email address might be slightly off.
The link might be subtly altered.
The tone might feel just a little rushed.

But when you’re moving fast, small red flags are easy to miss.

Why Smart, Careful People Still Fall for It

Let’s be clear. This isn’t about being careless.

It’s about being human.

When people are under pressure and deadlines are looming, they often don’t read carefully. They scan, assume, and react.

Hackers and scammers know this.

They design their messages specifically for people who are moving too fast to notice the one detail that’s off. They don’t need you to be careless; they just need you to be busy.

In March, almost everyone is busy.

Four Simple Ways to Avoid Being the Easy Target

The good news? You don’t need a complex security overhaul to reduce risk during busy season.

You just need a few consistent and intentional habits especially during busy months.

1. Always Verify Payment Changes by Phone

If an email says a vendor’s banking details have changed, do not reply to the email. Instead, call a phone number you already have on file and verbally verify the change.

Business Email Compromise scams tied to payment changes are among the most expensive attacks businesses face. One five-minute phone call can prevent six-figure losses.

2. Treat Urgency as a Signal to Pause

If someone asks for W-2s, tax documents or financial files “right now,” take a few moments to verify the request.

Legitimate senders won’t be offended if you double-check.

Scammers, on the other hand, hate delays.

3. Use a Second Channel for “Urgent” Requests

If an email claims to be urgent, verify it through another channel.
A call, text, or internal message can stop a bad decision before it starts.

Real urgency can survive a two-minute verification process. A fake one usually can’t.

4. Give Your Team Permission to Slow Down

Remind your team tax season is prime for scams. Give them permission to slow down, double-check and ask questions when something feels off.

That small shift in culture can prevent major damage.

Sometimes prevention isn’t about new tools. It’s about permission.

The Bottom Line

Tax season is already stressful.

Although the attacks that show up this month aren’t necessarily more sophisticated, they are better timed.

They depend on:

• Assumptions
• Overloaded inboxes
• Rushed decisions

You don’t necessarily need to overhaul your systems to avoid being an easy target.

You just need to slow down and verify, especially when requests sound urgent.

Often, that’s enough.

A Quick Busy-Season Sanity Check

You may already have strong habits in place, and if so, that’s excellent!

But if tax season tends to push your team into reactive mode, or you’re not fully confident how urgent requests are handled under pressure, it’s worth a quick sanity check with a free 17-minute discovery call.

No scare tactics. No pressure. Just a clear look at whether small habit changes could prevent big headaches this time of year.

👉 Book a Discovery Call Today

Book My 17-Minute Call