Phony Email Scheme Alert

Inbox IconOn March 1, 2016, the IRS released an alert informing payroll and human resources professionals to be cautious of emails claiming to be from company executives requesting employees’ personal information including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses. The suspected goal of these email phishing schemes is to monetize the data through various fraudulent activities, including filing fake tax returns. Employers have a responsibility to protect their employees’ personal data, and should confirm with company executives if the emails are legitimate before responding with the employee data.

For more information, including examples of these fraudulent emails, please click here.