It’s phishing season, and the latest catch comes from Ryman Hospitality Properties. The Nashville-located company, parent to several entertainment brands, the Grand Ole Opry, resort hotels, and a golf course, was hit with a scam that stole W-2 information from multitudes of employees.

As with most phishing scams, it began with an email. It appeared to have come from an officer of the company, but was, of course, from an outside party. As it seemed legitimate, the targeted employee fell for the trick, and sent over the W-2 information of the company’s employees. However, employees using 1099 forms were not impacted, as that information is stored separately.

In all likeliness, the stolen forms will be used for tax fraud, as the thief will try to file taxes under the victims’ names to steal their tax returns. However, the information on the forms can also be used for identity theft, so those affected should be on guard for both.

Most employees have been notified and provided with identity theft protection and credit monitoring services. Some musicians who performed at the Grand Ole Opry may have been affected, although according to Billboard, any performers they contacted were not aware of the breach.

Ryman Hospitality Properties has informed the authorities, and is working to implement new preventative measures.

photo credit: Nashville 2015 via photopin (license)