As the U.S. Treasury rolls out their Coronavirus Economic Impact payments as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, its anticipation has heightened fraud and scams.
The Treasury plans to send payments to most Americans in April. While most will not need to take any action to receive the payment through direct deposit, this is only true if the Treasury has your information on record from previous tax filings.
If the Treasury does not have your information on file, there will be an option to provide it to them through a web-based portal, unless a paper check by mail is preferred. Unfortunately, the web-portal option provides cyber criminals an opportunity to scam people into sharing sensitive information that could end up costing them.
Please remember:
- The U.S. government will not call or email any American citizen to gather your social security number, bank information or debit card information.
- Requests for upfront money, information or favors in order to increase, confirm or speed up your stimulus check are likely fraudulent.
- Watch for emails with attachments or links claiming to have special information about economic impact payments or refunds. Do not click on links or open attachments from sources you are unfamiliar with.
For details about the CARES Act and related stimulus plans, visit: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/economic-impact-payments-what-you-need-to-know
Please contact us or local law enforcement if you are concerned that you may have fallen victim to a COVID-19 scam, so that we can assist you with protecting your accounts and identity.
