Beware of Scammers Looking to Target Employee W-2s to File Fraudulent Tax Returns

The Department of Information Systems reminds state employees that with the issuance of W2 forms comes the possibility of fraudulent activities in relation to individual tax returns. 

Scams including bogus emails and phone calls target employees and citizens in an attempt to file fraudulent federal and state of Arkansas tax returns on their behalf. This is a yearly occurrence during tax season and citizens are encouraged to be vigilant in order to stay safe online and not become victims of the cyber criminals.   

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) always uses the traditional mail system to inform citizens of any issues that affect their tax return or status. It will never make initial contact by phone or email unless it has first contacted individuals through the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS traditionally alerts payroll and human resources professionals to beware of phishing email schemes that purport to be from company executives and request personal information on employees.  

During tax season, citizens should exercise caution in any situation where individual information (Social Security numbers or banking info) is requested by phone and especially by email. 
 

Cybersecurity Tips for Employees 

Be cautious of links and attachments in emails from senders you don’t recognize, or are requesting actions that seem unusual or don’t follow normal procedures.

Avoid providing personal information when answering an email, unsolicited phone call, text message or instant message.

Additionally, do not reply to any emails that seem suspicious. Obtain the sender’s address from the corporate address book and ask them about the message.

Never enter personal information in a pop-up web page or anywhere else that you did not initiate.

Keep security software and all other software programs updated.

Report security warnings from your internet security software to IT immediately.