Remember to be alert for email tax scams

January 23, 2017

Remember to be alert for email tax scams

The Office of Information Technology-Security reminds faculty and staff to be on the lookout for email income tax-related scams. Should you receive an email regarding taxes or asking for personal information, it is best to be very skeptical and equally cautious.

SIU Carbondale, the state of Illinois, and the Internal Revenue Service will never send an email requesting personal information. 

Do not respond if you receive an email asking for your legal name, Social Security number, financial account information, or other personal information. Do not provide the information, do not click on any link in the email, and do not reply by telephone using a phone number in the email. The email may sound urgent or threatening – but ignore the request and delete the email. If you are truly concerned, note the person or organization, locate contact information from a reliable source, and email or call directly. 

To keep the campus community informed, OIT Security maintains a list of known scams. It may not be a complete list of all circulating email scams. If in doubt, send questionable emails to OIT Security. 

For questions that pertain to university employment, payroll issues or W-2 forms, contact the Human Resources payroll office at 536-3369, visit the website, or access the HR self-service (HRSS) system.