CORTLAND, N.Y. — The Cortland County Sheriff's Department has been notified of an active phishing email threat circulating in the past two weeks.
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The email notifies employees that their electronic W-2 forms are available and encourages them to follow a link to login to view and print their forms.
The link takes them to a landing page which has been made to look like the organization's Human Resources site, the sheriff's office said.
Those who fall victim to the scam may have their personal information compromised, including login, password, tax information, bank account information, personal contact information and benefit information, authorities said.
The sheriff's office offers the following recommendations for Internet users who encounter the email:
• DO NOT reply to email with any personal information or passwords. If you have reason to believe that the request is real, call the institution or company directly.
• DO NOT click a link in an unsolicited email message. If you have reason to believe the request is real, type the web address for the company or institution directly into your web browser.
• DO NOT use the same password for your work account, bank, Facebook, etc. In the event you do fall victim to a phishing attempt, the thieves will try the compromised password in as many places as they can.
• DO change ALL of your passwords if you suspect any account you have access to may be compromised.
• DO be equally cautious when reading email on your phone. It may be easier to miss telltale signs of phishing attempts when reading the email on a smaller screen.
• If you have received this phishing email, do not open the message.
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