Tax season is here, which means tax fraud season is here, too.  This year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning tax practitioners about a new phishing scam targeted at them and reminding all employers about fraudsters’ continued use of a scam to collect Form W-2 from entire companies.

Cybercriminals have traditionally targeted taxpayers, in

Our Data Privacy and Security team is currently assisting multiple clients in responding to nearly identical fraudulent requests for IRS Form W-2 information. Significantly, these clients are in a number of industries and are located in a variety of states, which confirms that this scam is widespread.

IRS Issues Warning About W-2 Scam

Earlier this

With tax season around the corner, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun its yearly campaign to educate taxpayers on the importance of protecting their personal information.  However, a recent audit of the agency’s email use reveals the awkward truth that even the IRS does not always follow best practices when it comes to protecting

As we recently reported, on October 20, the IRS announced the implementation of new measures developed in collaboration with state taxing authorities and tax industry leaders to prevent identity theft in refund fraud.  On November 19, the IRS announced the latest step in this collaborative effort that began in March.

The “Taxes. Security. Together.”

On October 20, 2015, the IRS, state taxing authorities, and leaders of the tax industry announced continued progress to expand and strengthen protection against identity theft in refund fraud for the 2016 tax season. “We are taking new steps upfront to protect taxpayers at the time they file and beyond,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in announcing this development. “Thanks to the cooperative efforts taking place between the industry, the states and the IRS, we will have new tools in place this January to protect taxpayers during the 2016 filing season.”

(Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses a taxpayer’s stolen Social Security number to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. Generally, an identity thief will use a taxpayer’s SSN to file a false return early in the year. The taxpayer may be unaware he or she is a victim until the taxpayer tries to file a tax return and learns one already has been filed using his or her SSN.)

The strengthened and expanded protections include the following:
Continue Reading IRS, States, Industry Continue Progress to Protect Taxpayers from Identity Theft