Scam alert: Beware of tax refund and stimulus scams that could cost you the money to which you are entitled.
Stimulus checks of up to $1,200 are being sent now. And the April 15 tax filing deadline has been moved to July 15 this year, which also gives the fraudsters behind tax refund scams another 90 days, too.
Beware of scams via email, text or phone by scammers claiming to be from the IRS or from your bank.
Seniors and those living alone are especially vulnerable to such scams.
Two current scams are an official looking email with the subject line payment confirmation for tax refund request or something similar with an an official looking confirmation number and stimulus package scams which appear to be from the IRS.
Scam alert
The IRS never emails or phones you or emails you.
The IRS only notifies you by US mail.
So anybody – anybody – claiming to be from IRS who phones you or emails you is a scammer. Don’t fall for it.
Stimulus payment scam
Checks of up to $1,200 are beginning to be paid, first by direct deposit, including to Social Security recipients and others who have existing direct deposit accounts.
Checks by mail follow.
To help everyone check the status of their Economic Impact Payment, the IRS is launching a tool where you can find the status of a payment, including the date it is scheduled to be direct deposited in your bank account or mailed.
This is the official IRS website link to tell you when your stimulus check is being direct deposited in your bank account
Tax refund scam
The email I received recently includes a confirmation number, #75991792.
There are enough numbers to look like something the IRS would issue, and the email includes the address, toll-free phone number and website link for the IRS. But – and this is the big but –
The sender is some scam fraud email address that is not – repeat, NOT – anything resembling www.IRS.gov.
Why would the IRS send me a refund document from ATNM_2006 from a server that is not – repeat, NOT – from anything containing the letters IRS.
Guaranteed if you open this scam, fraud, phishing email from ATNM_2006 or anything similar, you will become a victim of identity fraud, computer hacking blackmail or something similar.
Check out the
five most common tax filing mistakes & how to avoid them,
on NYCOTC sister site ecoXplorer.
Tax scam alert
Do not respond to emails about your tax return.
Do not download or open documents in any such email.
Do not respond to phone calls about your tax return.
Please do not be stupid.
Reminder that the IRS does not phone you or email you about your taxes.
If there is a problem with your filing, or with your refund, the IRS will send you a letter via another government agency called the US Post Office.
That being said, I must thank ATNM_2006 at server that is not IRS for allowing NYC on the Cheap to share a warning about your unscupulous scam.
Lucky for me, I haven’t applied for a refund, so I knew instantly this was a fraud, scam phishing expedition. You might not be so lucky.
Sorry to be a broken record or do a Groundhog Day on you, but –
Once again –
Do not respond to emails about your tax return.
Do not download or open documents in any such email.
Do not respond to phone calls about your tax return.
This tax refund scam alert was published originally in 2015 and updated and republished each tax season with the latest versions of scams to beware of.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.