The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued an urgent alert on Feb. 2, 2017, that a Form W-2 email phishing scam is now targeting schools. A team of university experts have begun implementing a series of strategic responses to cyber-attacks that have targeted schools throughout the United States. During the coming weeks, students, faculty and staff members can expect to receive a series of communications from the Office of Human Resources, CCIT and the Payroll Office.
Identified by IRS Commissioner John Koskinen as “one of the most dangerous email phishing scams we’ve seen in a long time,” Koskinen stated further that the cyber-attack “can result in the large-scale theft of sensitive data that criminals can use to commit various crimes, including filing fraudulent tax returns.” Click here to read the IRS alert.
Clemson University strongly recommends that students, faculty and staff members take caution when opening emails from unknown sources and clicking on links within emails. Cybercriminals use various spoofing techniques to disguise an email to make it appear as if it is from an organization executive.
Additional Cautions:
- It is tax season, so avoid using search engines to find technical help with taxes or tax software because selecting the wrong link could lead to a loss of data or an infected computer.
- Avoid engaging in phone conversations with callers from technical support providers. This is a scam.
Recommendations:
- Read ‘What to do if you receive a suspicious IRS-related communication.”
- Use the following official IRS support sites:
