Tax and Unemployment Fraud in 2021

This ReliaQuest blog analyzes a spike in tax- and unemployment-related cybercrime during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 period: criminals sold stolen W-2/1040 forms on forums, offered document-rendering/forgery services to enable identity and benefits fraud, and filed fraudulent unemployment claims (including targeting executives) to divert government payments; the report describes monetization, observed activity on Russian cybercriminal forums, and recommends basic hygiene, phishing defenses, and reporting procedures.