The Consumer Protection Division (CPD) of the Office of the Indiana Attorney General on Feb. 10 was notified of an attempted W-2 phishing scam that targeted a central Indiana school corporation.
A complainant notified the CPD that a staff member at a central Indiana school corporation received an email that appeared to be from the corporation’s superintendent requesting copies of employee W-2 records – a telltale sign of a recent scam that is targeting businesses, schools, hospitals and nonprofits across the country. The complainant told the CPD that the staff member checked with the superintendent and confirmed that the email was fraudulent.
Cybercriminals, or scammers, will make their personal emails appear as if they are sent from a high-ranking employee at the targeted business or other entity. The email, which requests names of each employee and their Form W-2, is sent to someone in a business, organization or corporation’s human resources or accounting department. If successful, the scammer is able to collect sensitive personal information of each employee.
If you work for a company that has been compromised by such a scam, the Office of the Indiana Attorney General encourages you to sign up for a credit freeze to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft. Hoosiers can visit the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division for more information. You can also fill out an Identity Theft Complaint Form. Contact us at 1-800-382-5516 to speak to a consumer staff member who can help you in obtaining an Identity Theft Affidavit Form 14039, which can be submitted to the IRS if you are a victim of tax fraud. You can also call the Do Not Call Hotline at 1-888-834-9969 for number registration and to file complaints.
