Warning about W-2 Phishing Scams

As we look ahead toward the start of tax season, we wanted to take a moment to remind you to be vigilant of cyber attacks and schemes. Every year, through the use of sophisticated social engineering tactics, cyber criminals trick businesses into providing W-2 information on their employees, which results in fraudulent tax returns being filed. Safeguard your business and your employees by going over proper procedures with your staff and training them to "Think Before They Click". Remind them that a typical W-2 phishing email often looks like it is from a high-level executive and asks the employee to provide tax related information via email or by uploading it to a server. These emails often look urgent and typically include the actual signature of the high-level executive. If you, or someone you know, receives an unusual email, do not respond immediately. Instead, contact the alleged email sender or company executive by phone or in person to ensure that the request legitimately came from within your organization. Be sure to report any scam attempts to the IRS at [email protected] or visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/individuals/how-do-you-report-suspected-tax-fraud-activity for more information.