Don’t let scammers get your coronavirus stimulus check: Here are tips from the IRS

Millions of Americans can expect to get their coronavirus stimulus money this week, according to the Treasury Department.

Individuals earning up to $75,000 will get $1,200 and married couples earning up to $150,000 will get $2,400 plus $500 for dependents under the age of 17, according to The New York Times.

The Internal Revenue Service warned about potential scammers trying to get your stimulus money through phishing attempts.

“Never before have so many people been this distracted,” Adam Levin, chairman and founder of cybersecurity firm CyberScout told Money. “We’re concerned about our health and our families, and scammers are taking advantage of that.”

The IRS said that scammers might: use the words “stimulus check” or “stimulus payment” instead of the official term “economic impact payment;” ask you to sign over your payment check; ask by phone, text, email, or social media to verify banking or personal information; say that they can get you your economic impact payment faster by working for you; and mail you a “bogus check” and ask you to call or verify information online to get it.

“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,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “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 said seniors should be careful during this period and that the IRS won’t reach out to retirees for information to receive their stimulus payments.

This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Don’t let scammers get your coronavirus stimulus check: Here are tips from the IRS."