Beware of these stimulus scams
As potentially millions of Americans are still waiting for the federal COVID-19 relief payments, scammers are taking advantage of people who desperately need aid.
More than $321 million has been lost to stimulus-related scams in the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission reported in February. More than 150,000 fraudulent stimulus check websites were launched after the first payments were announced, Google reported, and it has blocked more than 18 million scam emails every day since then.
Now, with legislation on the horizon that will likely send more individual relief payments, experts say scammers will have another wave of opportunity.
Four types of stimulus scams were identified in a report recently released by Socialcatfish.com, a verification website.
Robocall scams involving a caller pretending to be from the IRS to obtain personal financial information have been commonplace, the report says.
“They will claim they need this to deposit the stimulus check into your account and will also ask for a fee to deposit said check,” said Rick Pendrick, spokesman for Socialcatfish. “The truth is, they want your information so that they can pretend to be you and claim the check for themselves.”
The scammer also can empty your bank account with the information, Pendrick said.
Email, social media and text
phishing scams from people who claim to be government officials trick many into clicking links that may contain harmful viruses that collect personal information, according to the report.
Fake websites can do the same, Pendrick said.
“If you click on suspicious links, they will likely take you to fake websites that will download malware onto your device and steal your information to drain your bank account,” he said. “These sites also contain fake forms so any personal or financial information you provide will go to the scammer.”
Scammers also have been targeting people with the mail.
“Scammers have been mailing fake checks that look exactly like the official government-issued paper stimulus checks,” Pendrick said. “Once deposited, the scammers text you pretending to be the government asking for some of the money back, claiming too much was sent.”
Here's how you can avoid these scams:
Never give out your personal information. The IRS already has your information on file from your tax returns, and stimulus payments will be automatically deposited or mailed to you.
Don't click on any links emailed, sent through social media or texted to you. Because the IRS already has your information, any correspondence that says you need to click to confirm to get your stimulus is a scam.
Don't visit any website that purports to be related to stimulus payments unless it ends in .gov. Only use the IRS' Get My Payment online tool to check on federal relief payments.
If you receive a check in the mail, make sure it's legitimate by asking your bank to verify its authenticity.
Report likely scams to the FTC or local law enforcement.