Avoid COVID-19 Stimulus  Money Scams

Some of you have already received stimulus checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) due to the Coronavirus outbreak.  The stimulus checks are great for those in need, but it is unfortunate that scammers will often take advantage of these situations to try and steal your information or money.  This is just a friendly reminder that you must  be vigilant to avoid potential scams.  A little knowledge will help protect you and your loved ones.

• The IRS will NEVER call you to ask for your social security number or bank information.  Scammers will sometimes pretend to be an IRS agent and ask for information so they can "process your payment".  The IRS never contacts people by phone.
• Scammers will set up fake websites that look identical to the real IRS.gov website.  All websites claiming to be the IRS should begin with "https://" and end with ".gov".  Anything else is fake.
• The IRS will NEVER email you.  If you receive an email claiming to be from from the IRS, delete it. Do not click any links in the email or download any attachments.
• The IRS will never contact you through social media.
• The IRS will never offer to speed up your payment for a "fee".

Scammers are smart and may pretend the situation is urgent or claim you risk losing your money.  Be smart, be vigilant, and be sure to share this information with your family and friends.  If you think you have been contacted by a potential scammer, please report it to the IRS using this link:  Link to the IRS COVID-19 Resource Page