With tax season upon us, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued warnings to help taxpayers protect sensitive identity and financial data.

W-2 Phishing Scam

The IRS is warning employers about a Form W-2 email phishing scam that can put employee information at risk. An IRS communique stated: “Here’s how the scam works,” Cybercriminals use various spoofing techniques to disguise an email to make it appear as if it is from an organization executive. The email is sent to an employee in the payroll or human resources departments, requesting a list of all employees and their Forms W-2.”

The IRS further stated that, “When employers report W-2 thefts immediately to the IRS, the agency can take steps to help protect employees from tax-related identity theft. The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry, working together as the Security Summit, have enacted numerous safeguards in 2016 and 2017 to identify fraudulent returns filed through scams like this.”

More information about the W-2 scam is available on the IRS website.

Warnings to Taxpayers

The IRS has excellent advice to help keep taxpayers on alert for scam artists. Information about tax-related scams can be found on the IRS website.