BEWARE - W-2 scam

hoosieroriginal · ‎03-04-2012

Several companies in Indiana (including Scotty's Brewhouse and American Senior Communities) have been hit with a new scam. Someone calls saying they are calling from head office pretending to be calling for the CEO of the company or saying they are CEO of the company requesting that the W-2s of all employees be faxed immediately to them. Many employees now have their personal information stolen. They are telling employees that if they get a call of this type, call the head office and check to see if this information has actually been requested before sending the information.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

Saw this scam on the news last week. Apparently the emails looked so real the employees just complied. Probably never looked at the return email addresses!

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

That's such a silly scam that I can't imagine anyone in any company falling for it. It's like 42 bells go off in your head...lol W-2's are computer generated and they are issued through the payroll department, there would never be reason for a CEO to ask anyone for them. In the weird even that a comany ex asked for them, the request would be made payroll and it would be such a strange request that it go to the manager or director or even high up the food chain. Good heavens, most companies do on even allow employees to even verify that someone works for the company. Calls like that are fowarded to HR.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

Oh wow, I can't believe that people actually sent that. Seems like one would question it greatly, since there is no reason a CEO would need that particular information suddenly faxed to them. Sounds like a fireable offense to me.

hoosieroriginal · ‎03-04-2012

@chickenbutt wrote:
Oh wow, I can't believe that people actually sent that. Seems like one would question it greatly, since there is no reason a CEO would need that particular information suddenly faxed to them. Sounds like a fireable offense to me.

@chickenbutt - evidently requests are sent by email and look very authentic like they are coming from home office. They found out what happened because employees were trying to file their taxes and their filings were being rejected - someone had already filed in their place. Sad.

hoosieroriginal · ‎03-04-2012

@chrystaltree wrote:
That's such a silly scam that I can't imagine anyone in any company falling for it. It's like 42 bells go off in your head...lol W-2's are computer generated and they are issued through the payroll department, there would never be reason for a CEO to ask anyone for them. In the weird even that a comany ex asked for them, the request would be made payroll and it would be such a strange request that it go to the manager or director or even high up the food chain. Good heavens, most companies do on even allow employees to even verify that someone works for the company. Calls like that are fowarded to HR.

@chrystaltree - the emails must look real because thousands of employees' W-2s have been sent responding to the emails of three companies here in Indiana. Employees found out when their tax returns were rejected - someone using their SS# had already filed.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

hoosieroriginal wrote:
chickenbutt wrote:
Oh wow, I can't believe that people actually sent that. Seems like one would question it greatly, since there is no reason a CEO would need that particular information suddenly faxed to them. Sounds like a fireable offense to me.
@chickenbutt - evidently requests are sent by email and look very authentic like they are coming from home office. They found out what happened because employees were trying to file their taxes and their filings were being rejected - someone had already filed in their place. Sad.

Oh yikes, that's horrible!

I just still feel like I would have called the home office, or whatever is the entity (not, of course, using a ph# on the email) to verify this request. It is something that there would be no reason for them to request.

I sure hope it gets ironed out for all those victimized employees!

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

There are so many scams out there these days - it's hard to keep up with them. At least once a day I get an email from Kohl's, Walgreens, etc. asking me to click on a link to verify "an order" I placed with them.

Sadly yesterday I had one and realized I had actually ordered something thru Kohls but luckily I backed out of that email and went directly to their site. The info requested was correct in their records so be careful out there.

apple1964 · ‎08-07-2013

Thanks O/P for starting this thread and bringing this to our attention ... I have been getting emails from a scammer about on line bank called USA bank. They have been telling me my account has been attacked and charges have been made that are not mine. I never had a on line account with this bank or any other. I never opened these emails and they suddenly stopped coming. These hackers are good at what they do. and that is the scary part. Be careful folks.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

apple1964 wrote:
Thanks O/P for starting this thread and bringing this to our attention ... I have been getting emails from a scammer about on line bank called USA bank. They have been telling me my account has been attacked and charges have been made that are not mine. I never had a on line account with this bank or any other. I never opened these emails and they suddenly stopped coming. These hackers are good at what they do. and that is the scary part. Be careful folks.

Oh wow, you know what's scary about that? There is a bank called US Bank (as opposed to USA, but it is so similar!), at least in my state. I can totally see some who are oblivious to these scams, who bank at US Bank, thinking it's legit. SMH - always a scam around every corner.