DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

With at least 23 incidents and 29,000 victims, the W-2 phishing season is in full swing

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Dissent

Over on Salted Hash, Steve Ragan has also been compiling data on victims of business email compromise (BEC) W-2 phishing scams. BEC W-2 phishing scams are the scams where someone poses as an executive of your organization and sends you an email from an address that at first glance might appear to be real. Their email directs you to email them employees’ W-2 data.

Steve reports that for the 23 cases reported so far in the media, 29,000 people have been affected. I’m glad he bothered to tally them, as I’ve been unabashedly lazy about keeping a running total of the number affected.

So go read his report, as it also includes helpful information about business email compromise (BEC) phishing scams in general and cautions from the government.

Remember that for this year, DataBreaches.net’s running list of W-2 phishing incidents can be found here. Last year, there were 145 incidents on my list before I somewhat threw up my hands on the project. It’s nice to have Steve on it, too, this year.

And if you come across an incident or report that we don’t know about yet, please either drop me a note, or drop Steve a note, or find either of us on Twitter at @PogoWasRight (that would be) or  @SteveD3.

Related posts:

  • 74 Arrested in Coordinated International Enforcement Operation Targeting Hundreds of Individuals in Business Email Compromise Schemes
  • Previously Extradited Nigerian National Sentenced For Role In Multimillion-Dollar Business Email Compromise Schemes Targeting Educational Institutions And Businesses in North Carolina and Texas
  • Victims of W-2 phishing scams (2017 list)
  • 191 million voters’ personal info exposed by misconfigured database (UPDATE2)
Category: Breach IncidentsOf NotePhishing

Post navigation

← Hackers demand £1 million from David Beckham’s advisers
Verity Health System Notifies Thousands of Patients of Web Site Hack That Began in 2015 →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
  • Swiss Health Foundation Radix Hit by Cyberattack Affecting Federal Data
  • Russian hackers get 7 and 5 years in prison for large-scale cyber attacks with ransomware, over 60 million euros in bitcoins seized
  • Bolton Walk-In Clinic patient data leak locked down (finally!)
  • 50 Customers of French Bank Hit by Insider SIM Swap Scam
  • Ontario health agency atHome ordered to inform 200,000 patients of March data breach
  • Fact-Checking Claims By Cybernews: The 16 Billion Record Data Breach That Wasn’t
  • Horizon Healthcare RCM discloses ransomware attack in December
  • Disgruntled IT Worker Jailed for Cyber Attack, Huddersfield
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system
  • Supreme Court Decision on Age Verification Tramples Free Speech and Undermines Privacy
  • New Jersey Issues Draft Privacy Regulations: The New
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • Germany Wants Apple, Google to Remove DeepSeek From Their App Stores
  • Supreme Court upholds Texas law requiring age verification on porn sites
  • Justices nix Medicaid ‘right’ to choose doctor, defunding Planned Parenthood in South Carolina

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.