Most business professionals understand the importance of
keeping all work-related information private and secure, especially information
that could potentially be used to aid in fraudulent activities. Unfortunately,
however, today’s internet thiefs are getting very good at tricking unsuspecting
professionals, such as those who work in payroll processing or other capacities
where a large amount of sensitive information is readily available, into
handing over confidential data without a second thought.
While fraud seekers use many different strategies to target
businesses, one of the most common is a new “phishing” technique. Using this
technique, a scammer will contact individuals and/or business representatives
from what, by all appearances, is an official government email address. The email will
typically contain a link to a falsified (non-legitimate) government site and will
request personal information. Once the
information is secured, the recipient can do with it as he or she wishes.
Obviously, it is important to advise your payroll processing employees and all of your
employees on this new scam and to reiterate the importance of keeping secure
information safe. For more information on financial scams and for help
preventing them from affecting your organization, contact Susan S. Lewis, Ltd. of
Naperville.
