targeting W-2 records , placing more than 120,000 taxpayers at risk for identity fraud . Many of those working for the victimized firms have had a stressful time dealing with the fallout . Those who have experienced this unique type of crime say it 's a nightmare . Some of those affected have had fraudulent returns filed under their name , in addition to issues with educational expenses . In one case , the scammers created flexible spending accounts with their stolen identities . The Phishing attacksAttack.Phishingcausing so much damage , also known as BEC (Business Email Compromise) attacksAttack.Phishing, are simple and effective . They exploit trust relationships within the office , and in many cases , exploit the routine practice of sharing data via email . According to the IRS , these attacksAttack.Phishingare some of the most dangerous email scamsAttack.Phishingthe agency has seen in a long time . `` It can result in the large-scale theftAttack.Databreachof 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 , remarked in a warning issued last month . In 2016 , Databreaches.net tracked 145 BEC victims . With more than five weeks left in the current tax season , the count sits at 110 ( as of 03-13-17 ) and shows no signs of slowing . As mentioned , those impacted by the BEC attacksAttack.Phishinghave described the aftermath as a frustrating nightmare , one that drains them of time and in some cases money when their returns are delayed .
Last week , the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) issued a new warning to employers , urging them to stay alert as reports of compromised W-2 records started to climb . This newest advisory aligns with the agency 's plan to delay refunds for those filing their returns early in order to combat identity theft and fraud . The IRS also informed employers the W-2 scam has moved beyond corporations , expanding to include schools , tribal organizations , and nonprofits . In a statement , IRS Commissioner , John Koskinen , said the scams - sometimes known as Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacksAttack.Phishing- are some of the most dangerous email scams the agency has seen in a long time . [ Learn about top security certifications : Who they 're for , what they cost , and which you need . `` It can result in the large-scale theft of sensitive dataAttack.Databreachthat criminals can use to commit various crimes , including filing fraudulent tax returns . We need everyone ’ s help to turn the tide against this scheme , '' Koskinen said . In 2016 , at least 145 organizations fell victim to BEC scamsAttack.Phishing, exposing tens of thousands of employees to tax fraud and identity theft . Salted Hash kept track of some of the high-profile cases , and Databreaches.net tracked everything , resulting in a massive list of documented successful attacks . As of February 5 , 23 organizations have disclosed BEC-related data breachesAttack.Databreachpublicly , each one resulting in compromised W-2 data . The confirmed BEC victims include ten school systems , a software development firm , a utility company in Pennsylvania , at least one restaurant in Indianapolis , and businesses operating within the healthcare , finance , manufacturing , and energy sectors . Distribution International emailed employees that their W-2 data was compromisedAttack.Databreachon January 27 . Their notification expands the number of affected taxpayers to more than 30,000 . The scammers spoofedAttack.Phishingan email and pretended to beAttack.Phishingone of the company 's owners . W-2 records for all companies and all employees were compromisedAttack.Databreach. Salted Hash reached out to Sky Climber 's CFO , Jeff Caswell , for more information . Also , the College of Southern Idaho has reported an incident that could impact 3,000 employees . According to Public Information Officer Doug Maughan , the W-2 records affected belong to seasonal and auxiliary staff . Palomar College disclosed an attackAttack.Databreachon January 30 , which affected employee W-2 records . The school did n't say the incidentAttack.Databreachwas the result of a BEC attackAttack.Phishing, but Salted Hash is listing it anyway due to the timing of the attack and the information targeted . Finally today , the West Michigan Whitecaps - a Class A minor league baseball team affiliated with the Detroit Tigers - said staff W-2 records were compromised after someone posing asAttack.Phishinga manager requested them . In 2016 , the criminals behind the BEC attacksAttack.Phishingmostly focused on payroll and tax records . This year though , the IRS says that in addition to the usual records request , the scammers are now following-up and requesting wire transfers . `` Although not tax related , the wire transfer scam is being coupled with the W-2 scam email , and some companies have lost both employees ’ W-2s and thousands of dollars due to wire transfers , '' the IRS explained in their warning . `` Employers should consider creating an internal policy , if one is lacking , on the distribution of employee W-2 information and conducting wire transfers . '' BEC attacksAttack.Phishingare essentially Phishing scamsAttack.Phishing, or Spear PhishingAttack.Phishingsince the criminals have a specific target . They 're effective too , exploiting the trust relationships that exist within the corporate environment . In a majority of the reported cases from 2016 , the attackers forgedAttack.Phishingan email and pretended to beAttack.Phishingthe victim organization 's top executive , or someone with direct authority . Often it is the CEO or CFO , but any high-level manager will work .