[wordup] "IRS Form W-9095" - that is NOT ISSUED by the Gov't

[Adam Shand]

Given the source of who sent this to me this is almost certainly legit.  Just be aware.

Adam.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 17:52:30 -0500
Subject: "IRS Form W-9095" - that is NOT ISSUED by the Gov't

FYI....

I personally know the person who posted this information and she does work
for the USSS.  I have not seen the document yet so if you have any questions
direct them to Jean Dugger directly.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 3:57 PM
To: METROTECH-L at LISTSERV.CC.EMORY.EDU
Subject: "IRS Form W-9095" - that is NOT ISSUED by the Gov't

To - ALL METRO TECH MEMBERS (PARTICULAR INTEREST - BANK SECURITY)
Fm - Jean Dugger, U S Secret Service
SUBJ - IRS Form - not from the Government....

Just when you think you've heard it all....you find out you haven't!!

Today, we were notified by a bank security good friend of the USSS that
a form "W-9095" is circulating - which was accompanied by a letter,
looking much like an official letterhead of the bank, requesting their
customer to complete the form and fax it back to phone #914-470-9245.

I'm sure you'll be surprised to learn that the form requested all kinds
of personal identifier information - ie, name, DOB, SSN, address, phone,
parents' names and mother's maiden name - just about everything you
would need to set up shop doing identity fraud!!

Luckily, a customer of the bank brought the form into a branch, to turn
it in, and bank security was alerted.

The form, called an "Application Form For Certificate Status/Ownership
For Withholding Tax", is quite a work of art - and I feel sure that it
has been widely distributed - my concern is that it could be VERY
widespread - perhaps by some former employee(s) who could gain access to
bank customer records base - and send out such a thing!

The form, official looking as it is, claims to be a "Department of the
Treasury Internal Revenue Service" form - which it is NOT.  I have
forwarded this info to IRS Internal investigations to see if they would
take a look at it.

I will bring copies to share at MetroPol Fraud next week!  My thought is
that someone worked way too hard on this form to limit it's distribution
to even one bank's customers!  BE AWARE!

The bank letter is signed "Monique Meeuws" - and smells a lot like a
"419" letter scam!!

Please notify the U S Secret Service - me or Chad Laub, 404-331-6111, if
you identify these forms circulating to your customers!!

For the info of credit union organizations - please feel free to post
this message on your systems as well.

We are looking into this and trying to develop more information.  Please
call me if you have info.  More details to follow!

Jean
USSS