The Federal Trade Commission is alerting consumers about "scammers sending fake IRS emails about Economic Impact Payments."
Excerpt from the Federal Trade Commission article "Scammers are sending fake IRS emails about Economic Impact Payments."
There’s a fake IRS email that keeps popping into people’s inboxes. It says that you can get a third Economic Impact Payment (EIP) if you click a link that lets you “access the form for your additional information” and “get help” with the application. But the link is a trick. If you click it, a scammer might steal your money and your personal information to commit identity theft. It’s yet another version of the classic government impersonator scam.
Here are ways to avoid this scam:
- Know that the government will never call, text, email, or contact you on social media saying you owe money, or to offer help getting a third Economic Impact Payment (EIP).
- Say no to anyone who contacts you, claiming to be from a government agency and asking for personal or financial information, or for payment in cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Report government impersonators to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Visit ftc.gov/imposters to find out more about government impersonators. And to learn more about the signs of a scam, what to do, and how to report it, check out ftc.gov/scams.
