--- title: "What You Should Know About IRS Phishing Schemes" id: "36994" type: "post" slug: "what-you-should-know-about-irs-phishing-schemes" published_at: "2017-02-15T23:01:19+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T18:40:01+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/02/15/what-you-should-know-about-irs-phishing-schemes/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/02/15/what-you-should-know-about-irs-phishing-schemes.md" excerpt: "The unprecedented phishing schemes that hit employers last tax season are back, the Internal Revenue Service warns. Here’s the latest on W-2 phishing risks and how you can avoid them." taxonomy_category: - "Ethics" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "cybersecurity" - "IRS rules" - "phishing" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » What You Should Know About IRS Phishing Schemes Your association isn’t just a member-facing organization—it’s an employer. And as an employer, you owe it to the folks on the payroll to learn about—and, of course, avoid—any potential scams this tax season. And the Internal Revenue Service warns that there are a whole lot of scams going around. [Earlier this month, for example (opens in a new tab)](https://www.irs.gov/uac/dangerous-w-2-phishing-scam-evolving-targeting-schools-restaurants-hospitals-tribal-groups-and-others) , the IRS warned of a dangerous W-2 scam involving email phishing that is affecting places of work beyond the corporate sphere. Hospitals, schools, and other facilities have been targeted. The scheme involves the scammer pretending to be a company executive, asking for employees’ information and W-2 forms. Already this year, one Wyoming hospital suffered [an identity theft incident affecting 1,400 employees (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wyomingnews.com/news/irs-cautions-of-w--scam-after-wyoming-hospital-breach/article_9c606b38-f02c-11e6-aa46-87dbcc0a7996.html) . Last year, [the phishing schemes proved surprisingly effective](http://associationsnow.com/2016/04/tax-theft-incidents-create-headaches-workers-employers/) , and this year, the IRS says they’re being tied to wire-transfer scams. “This is one of the most dangerous email phishing scams we’ve seen in a long time. It can result in the large-scale theft of sensitive data that criminals can use to commit various crimes, including filing fraudulent tax returns. We need everyone’s help to turn the tide against this scheme,’’ IRS Commissioner John Koskinen [noted in a news release (opens in a new tab)](https://www.irs.gov/uac/dangerous-w-2-phishing-scam-evolving-targeting-schools-restaurants-hospitals-tribal-groups-and-others) . These sorts of incidents are costly for both individual companies and the U.S. economy: The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported last year that 22,000 businesses were victims of this scam and similar ones, [with roughly $3.1 billion stolen (opens in a new tab)](https://www.ic3.gov/media/2016/160614.aspx) . A recent report on the topic [from the security firm PhishLabs (opens in a new tab)](http://www.networkworld.com/article/3166590/security/report-irs-related-phishing-scams-seen-running-rampant.html) noted that the IRS phishing scheme was so significant last January that it topped the total of IRS-related phishing attempts seen in all of 2015—a surge the company anticipates will happen again this year. Employers aren’t the only ones being targeted. [The IRS also noted (opens in a new tab)](https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/phone-scams-remain-serious-threat-no-2-on-the-irs-dirty-dozen-list-of-tax-scams-for-2017) that phone scams targeting individuals were on the rise as well, and it has been covering other schemes as part of its annual “dirty dozen” list [on its website (opens in a new tab)](https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/news-releases-for-current-month) . For employers looking to be informed about IRS-related phishing schemes, [they can learn more at the agency’s website (opens in a new tab)](https://www.irs.gov/uac/phishing-and-other-schemes-using-the-irs-name) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#cybersecurity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/cybersecurity/) [#IRS rules](https://associationsnow.com/tag/irs-rules/) [#phishing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/phishing/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastSecuring Identity: What Associations Need to Know About Verifiable CredentialsJune 25, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/25/securing-identity-what-associations-need-to-know-about-verifiable-credentials/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F02%2F15%2Fwhat-you-should-know-about-irs-phishing-schemes%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !