Experts advise HR departments to be vigilant this year regarding requests to divulge employee payroll information. In an emerging phishing scam, cyberthieves assume false identities and ask corporate HR professionals to email them W-2 forms containing sensitive payroll data, including birth dates, Social Security numbers, compensation and more. They then file fraudulent federal tax returns and claim refunds. Some criminals specifically target junior HR professionals, monitoring social media accounts to know when senior managers are on vacation, for instance.
Besides stepping up cybersecurity training, employers are advised to craft and enforce policies preventing the divulging of sensitive employee data. New tax filing deadlines may also help. The IRS now requires employers to submit both print and electronic W-2s to the Social Security Administration by January 31, well ahead of the previous deadlines of February 28 and March 31, respectively.
Society for Human Resource Management (01/09/17)
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