Beware - The Rise Of Payroll And QuickBooks Scams
A look into the devious fraud practices of companies that pretend to provide QuickBooks and Payroll support but aim for something more valuable...
We live in a society where there are a lot of people, even companies that use unfair means to make a fortune. Such companies fall under the category of Scams and they set a bad example for legitimate firms. Nowadays, people are aware of a considerable number of scams that target individuals. However, there is a new type of Scam that’s making its presence known with more and more cases being reported. They are known as Payroll and QuickBooks Scams.
What Are Payroll And QuickBooks Scams?
If you are a member of a small or growing business, it is a huge possibility that your company might be using the QuickBooks accounting software package by Intuit. Using a new software can be tricky at first and many small or growing companies seek assistance from a professional for the same. While several companies provide support for QuickBooks, some of them do even more than that… and not in a legitimate way.
In addition to this, some simply pretend to be QuickBooks and send shady emails to company owners who use the software. These are sent as confirmation emails asking the owner of the business to confirm whether they have requested to change the name of their organization in their QuickBooks account or not. The answer is obviously ‘NO’, so they click on the cancel button in the email. However, this isn’t a normal cancel button… by clicking on it, the owner will accidentally download some malware and viruses that steal personal information and share it with the Scammer.
While this is one way that Scammers steal information in the name of QuickBooks, there is another, a more devious practice that these frauds use. They pretend to be a company that provides paid support for QuickBooks and Payroll. And while they might provide the support they offered, they do it by integrating their software with the software that’s already being used. This enables them to access some private information about the company such as the list of employees along with their company/personal emails, employee IDs, etc.
This enables them to spoof the company’s employees’ email IDs and send fake Payroll information change requests to the employers, HRs, or accountants. While being under the impression that the email has been sent by the employee, the receiver takes action according to the request. The Scam is generally detected after a month or two of the employee not receiving his/her salary. Many companies keep falling for this Scam, not knowing that the company they are trusting is the one that is screwing them. So, these companies don’t only make money by providing services, but they also steal people’s hard-earned salaries.
How To Stay Away From Such Scams?
QuickBooks Support: Whenever you require any kind of support with your QuickBooks account, always refer to the official support on their website. It might require you to purchase a more expensive plan from them, but at least they won’t steal your employees’ hard-earned money (which will cost you even more).
Verify With Your Employee(s): If you receive emails from one of your employees’ email IDs requesting to change their Payroll information, always verify with the employee if the email was sent by him/her or not before taking the requested action. This will save you a lot of money, time, and hassle.
Research Is Important: Even if there is a need to include a third party for providing support for your Payroll or QuickBooks account, do a brief research about the company and its services. Interact with them only if you trust them with your financial information.
Different Email IDs: A smart thing to do would be providing each of your employees with two different company email IDs, one for communicating with the members of the firm, and the other for work. This way, everyone will know not to entertain the emails received from the second type of email IDs.
Some QuickBooks And Payroll Scams
One of the biggest QuickBooks and Payroll Scams operates under the name “SNS Professional aka ZNS Associates Support”. They offer to provide QuickBooks, Payroll, Accounting, and Bookkeeping services, however, they Scam companies by using the methods mentioned above. SNS Professional runs its Scam operation in the USA, Canada, and the UK. For the USA and Canada, they use 18004805152 & 18336005829 as their numbers, and for the UK, they use 448006527832 as their number.
Website: https://dialqb.online/
Website: https://www.bookkippo.com/
QuickBooks Phone Number Support
Website: https://www.quickbooksphonenumbersupport.com/
If you come across any such Scam operations, do report them to the authorities and avoid sharing your details or don’t interact with them at all. Always refer to the official support line of QuickBooks.