As the second round of stimulus money is distributed, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a warning that people need to be vigilant about scams targeting recipients of the funds, according to reports.
“We urge people to take extra care during this period,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in an alert to taxpayers. “The IRS isn’t going to call you asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get an economic-impact payment or your refund faster. That also applies to surprise emails that appear to be coming from the IRS. Remember, don’t open them or click on attachments or links.”
For most filers, this second round of payments — EIP 2 — is $600 for singles and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return. People can also get funds for dependents 17 and under.
Anyone receiving a call, email, text or social media message requesting anything from the IRS in order to receive a stimulus payment or tax refund is being told not to respond because it’s a scam, according to the alert.
“History has shown that criminals take every opportunity to perpetrate a fraud on unsuspecting victims, especially when a group of people is vulnerable or in a state of need,” said Don Fort, IRS criminal investigation division head. “While you are waiting to hear about your economic-impact payment, criminals are working hard to trick you into getting their hands on it. The IRS criminal investigation division is working hard to find these scammers and…
