The IRS warns the nation’s business, payroll and human resource communities
about a growing W-2 email scam. Criminals use this scheme to gain access to W-2
and other sensitive tax information that employers have about their employees.
This tip is part of National Tax Security Awareness Week. The IRS is
partnering with state tax agencies, the tax industry and groups across the
country to remind people about the importance of data protection.
This W-2 scam puts workers at risk for tax-related identity theft. The IRS
recommends that all employers educate employees about this scheme, especially
those in human resources and payroll departments. These employees are usually
the first targets. Here are five warning signs about the W-2 scam:
- The thief poses as a company executive, school official
or other leader in the organization.
- These scam emails often start with a simple greeting.
It can be something like, “Hey, you in today?”
- The crook sends an email to one employee with payroll
access. The sender requests a list of all employees and their Forms W-2.
The thief may even specify the format in which they want the information.
- The thieves use many different subject lines. The
criminal might use words like “review,” “manual review” or “request.” In
some cases, the thief may send a follow up email asking for a wire
transfer.
- Because payroll officials believe they are
corresponding with an executive, it may take weeks for someone to realize
a data theft occurred. The criminals usually try to use the information
quickly, sometimes filing fraudulent tax returns within a day or two.
This scam is such a threat to taxpayers and to tax administration that a
special IRS reporting process has been set up. Anyone who thinks they were a
victim of this scam can visit Form
W-2/SSN Data Theft: Information for Businesses and Payroll Service Providers to
find out how to report it.
More Information:
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