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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), state tax agencies and the tax industry are warning taxpayers about a new scam – by text – to trick people into disclosing bank account information in order to receive an Economic Impact Payment, or stimulus check.
As part of the scam, thieves are texting messages to taxpayer. The message looks something like this: You have received a direct deposit of $1,200 from COVID-19 TREAS FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment into your account. Continue here to accept this payment …
The text then includes a link to a web address. The web address is not legitimate: it’s a phishing URL. This phishing URL, which appears to come from a state agency or relief organization, directs victims to a fraudulent website that impersonates the IRS.gov Get My Payment website. Those who visit the fraudulent website are encouraged to enter their personal and financial account information: if you do, you will have your information collected by these scammers.
The IRS, states and industry, working together as the Security Summit, are reminding taxpayers that neither the IRS nor state tax agencies will ever text taxpayers asking for bank account information. This always true, but the Security Summit is issuing a particular reminder that the IRS will not text you with respect to making an EIP or stimulus check deposit.
“Criminals are relentlessly using COVID-19 and Economic Impact Payments as cover to try to trick taxpayers out of their money or identities,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “This scam is a new twist on those we’ve been seeing much of this year. We urge people to remain alert to these types of scams.”
If you receive this text scam, the IRS asks that you take a screen shot of the text message and send it via email to phishing@irs.gov with the following information:
- Date/Time/Timezone that they received the text message
- The number that appeared on their Caller ID
- The number that received the text message
If you believe they are eligible for a stimulus check – but have not received one – you should do so soon. Last month, the IRS extended the deadline for non-filers to register for your stimulus check to November 21, 2020. This new date gives you an additional five weeks past the previous October 15, 2020, deadline.
But be sure to use the IRS website to register: do not respond to a text or email. To register for your payment, simply click over to the IRS website and use the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool. There is no cost to register, and you should access the tool directly through irs.gov.
As a reminder, the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
- Send unsolicited texts or emails about your tax account or stimulus check.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying a tax bill.
- Demand that you pay taxes without allowing you to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
When in doubt, assume it’s a scam. Don’t engage with scammers or thieves, even if you want to tell them that you know it’s a scam, or you think that you can beat them. Just hang up or delete the text. You can find more tips on protecting yourself from identity-theft-related tax fraud here.