Wage Statement Data Theft
Information for Employers and Payroll Providers
Cybercriminals work hard to steal sensitive employee information to make money. Employers and Payroll Providers should be careful and selective about where they store their information and be alert to unexpected requests for information and submissions with sensitive information.
DOR monitors activity for potentially fraudulent or mistaken submissions of your employees’ information. We may flag wage statement files for further review or verification when activity appears to be unusual.
Employers
Protect Your Employees and Yourself
DOR’s online tools and customer service representatives are available to help you manage your personal and employee filings at no cost.
If you are still looking for assistance with filing and paying your Indiana tax information, remember that any filings an outside service provider makes on your and your company’s behalf are still your responsibility.
Note that online providers with no physical presence in Indiana may not be familiar with our state forms and may not be available to assist when issues arise. Do your research when choosing a provider, know their location and how long they have been in business. Research other customers who may also use their services.
Fake WH-3’s and wage statements are used to commit fraud and bad actors are looking for a way in. There are some best practices for payroll providers who are serious about defending against fraud to protect you and your employees. Do you know what measures they have in place to ensure the security of online data transmissions? Ask your provider how they defend against fraud and what their experience is with filing in the jurisdictions where your employees live and work.
Payroll Providers
Know Your Customers and Validate their Authenticity
Cybercriminals may submit stolen data for submission to government authorities to make their attempts at financial gain appear more legitimate. Know your customers and take action to verify their identity.
You can help to prevent the submission of fraudulent wage statements by paying attention to unusual requests from new customers who may claim to provide wage statements for schools, government entities, hospitals, or large organizations.
Watch out for unusual requests from your existing customers. (e.g., receipt of secondary files after original files were already submitted, email requests from unknown contacts and email addresses or domains). Consider extra security measures to validate any unusual website logins or requests.