PHISHING SCAM TARGETS EMPLOYMENT CONNECTIONS WITH USA

Sydney based Managed Service Provider, Virtual.Offis is warning American ex-pats living in Australia and locals who have spent time in North America to be on the alert for a new phishing scam that is seems to be specifically targeted at people with employment links to the USA.

 The scam presents itself as an email with the subject header “Tax Exempt for Non-Residents”  and purports to come from the "United States Treasury Dept (IRS)”

This latest incidences seems to be the most recent in a series of phishing attacks that have spoofed addresses and details from US federal treasuring and banking agencies.  Recipients are instructed to fill in a ‘W-8BEN’ form, which comes attached to the email, in order to be classified as tax exempt from assets and investments with any financial institution in the USA. The form includes a section for capturing credit card details, and it is here the scammers aim to hit pay dirt. 

“As phishing scams go, this is pretty clumsy, the poor spelling and grammar is a dead giveaway” says Chy Chuiawiwat, CEO of Virtual. Offis.  “What is of real concern is that - based on some of the recipients we are aware of - these operators may have obtained a database of Australian’s formerly employed in the USA and are targeting them personally and specifically."

At this stage Virtual.Offis is unsure if the phishers have attempted to run the same rort on Americans residing and working in Australia but at this stage are advising people to be on the alert.