AMERICANS have been warned not to fall victim to stimulus check-related scams.
The warning comes just days after October’s child tax credit payments, worth up to $300, were sent to households on October 15.
IRS bosses say that the stimulus cash is “bait” to the thieves, AL.com reports.
Scammers try to lure their unsuspecting victims by using phrases such as “faster payments” or “Covid disaster relief”.
Darren Lian, of the IRS’ Criminal Investigation office in Phoenix, said: “All of these tactics are trying to lure unwary taxpayers into a trap.”
IRS agents will never ask for personal bank information, threaten arrest warrants, or initiate contact, according to WKRC.
The federal agency never texts taxpayers and will send a letter to their home address if they need to make contact.
Lian said: “If someone calls you and starts asking about your personal information, I think it’s a very clear sign that you’re not really talking to a real IRS employee.”
Americans have been warned not to reply to an email from someone who claims to be an IRS official as mailing addresses could be faked. Emails from the agency always end in IRS.gov.
Lian warned that unscrupulous scammers could file false tax returns if they manage to get hold of their victims’ information.
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