RED ALERT: Small Business Tax Returns. You are the target of scams that affect filing.
The scams usually involve emails.
Scam 1: The crooks use emails to redirect deposit payroll or wire transfers from the IRS to the crook’s accounts. A thief impersonates a company owner or senior employee in an email to payroll, HR, or an outside accountant or payroll person, giving them a change in the bank account number for direct deposits, payroll or payroll taxes. The new bank account in the email is the thief’s.
Scam 2: An email that appears to be from your outside accounting or payroll firm or from a senior employee or company owner asking for a list of employees and their tax ID numbers and contact information. This enables the crooks to file fake tax returns claiming refunds, among other frauds. Tip-off: Most of these emails contain grammatical and spelling errors.
AIPB Publication has this Tip: Have someone in your firm with access to sensitive information confirm all requests to change accounts, provide sensitive information, or take other actions related to payroll or payroll information. The IRS recommends having at least two employees involved in such actions.
