The IRS is warning Americans about stimulus scams after a record number of complaints during the months of June and July.
Scammers are using the possibility of a stimulus check as a means to scam individuals out of their personal information.
“There’s always a carrot that the scammer is going to offer your viewers saying, ‘Hey, I need you to verify something and we want to send you your payment,'” explained IRS Special Agent Justin Campbell. “Just don’t respond to those unsolicited attempts.”
There’s a website circulating that looks legitimate – down to the logos and font. But it’s not the IRS, despite what the scammers claim.
The scammers tell victims that their eligibility for the next stimulus payment is on the line. To be clear, there are no immediate plans for another stimulus payment. However, with hundreds of thousands still waiting for various payouts related to stimulus and child tax credit advances – it’s easy to understand why some are falling for it.
Reality is that if the IRS wants to talk to you – they will connect with you through official communication via U.S. Mail, or through a verifiable phone call.
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