News Seagate can use: Cyberthieves’ Latest Target: Your Tax Forms

An email scam targeting companies is putting huge amounts of individuals’ tax information into the hands of criminals, potentially wreaking havoc on the victims’ lives for years.

Coming at the height of tax season, when millions of workers are filing their federal and state returns, the “phishing” or “spoofing” scheme is simple and effective: The perpetrator, impersonating a company’s high-ranking executive from a phony email address that appears legitimate, fools staffers in the payroll or human-resources departments into forwarding W-2 forms or other tax information.

Of course, what good is the article without mentioning Seagate by name?

Other victims include data-storage firm Seagate Technology PLC in Cupertino, Calif.; Billy Casper Golf, a golf-course company based in Reston, Va.; biotechnology companyPerkinElmer Inc.; and Phoenix-based regional grocery chain Sprouts Farmers MarketInc.