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The Controller's Office and the Office of Information Security are here to support you if you have questions about your work-related tax documents:
W-2: Email payroll@villanova.edu
1099: Email procurement@villanova.edu
1042-S: Email accounting.services@villanova.edu.
The University is not permitted to provide personal income tax advice.
Tax season can be taxing enough. Don’t let a scam make things worse! Armed with some knowledge, you can spot and avoid scam attempts rather than taking the bait.
Common Tax-Related Scams
Cyber criminals regularly pose as the IRS via phone, email, text message or postal mail. They may even use official-looking logos, seals, or signatures. Common tax-related scams include:
Credits and Refunds: They say that you’re owed a generous tax credit or refund and ask you to provide your banking details to claim it.
Tax Collection: They claim that you owe taxes and will demand that you pay the amount immediately, usually with a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may even threaten to arrest you if you don’t pay.
Verification: They reach out unsolicited to ask you to verify your personal information related to your taxes or direct you to a fraudulent form or website.
Learn more about tax-related scams on the IRS website.
Tips to Avoid Tax-Related Scams
Staying vigilant and cautious can help you stay one step ahead of cyber criminals. Remember: If it feels off, trust your instincts!
- Be skeptical of unsolicited outreach. The IRS typically contacts you the first time through regular U.S. Mail, before attempting to reach out via phone. They will only email or text you with your permission.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately. Think before you click, open attachments or provide any personal information.
- Verify a link is legitimate by hovering your cursor over the link to see where it leads.
- Pay attention to inconsistencies in outreach like:
- Poor spelling and grammar.
- Unusual or unrecognized sender address/number.
- Reply-to email address different than the sender address.
- Don't trust caller ID. Cyber criminals often change the name that shows on caller ID to "IRS" using a technique called spoofing.
- If contacted by phone, ask the caller to provide their name, badge number, and call-back number. Then call the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 to find out if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate reason to contact you. If you confirm that the caller is from the IRS, call them back.
- Take steps to block unwanted calls and text messages, and report suspicious emails as phishing.
What to Do if You've Been Scammed
If you know or believe you’ve been scammed, don't panic. You can take action to limit the impact and help stop others from being scammed.
- Stop all communication with the cyber criminal immediately and block their number or email address.
- Document and preserve any evidence of the scam, including dates, times, payment amounts, and communications.
- Report the fraud to the IRS.
- Report the scam to your financial institution and your local authorities.
- Reset your tax service password and monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.
Additional Resources