Last week the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), warned taxpayers of fraud schemes. IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig stated, “We urge people to take extra care during this period. 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. Go to IRS.gov for the most up-to-date information.” The IRS also is urging people to watch and be wary of text messages, social media, and websites that request personal information.
“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 IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort. “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 shut them down, but in the meantime, we ask people to remain vigilant.”
If you have received unsolicited emails, text messages or social media attempting to gather information that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), please forward it to phishing@irs.gov.
Click here to read more detailed information from the IRS concerning the Coronavirus scams.