The Criminal Investigation Division of the Federal Revenue Service (IRS-CI) is alerting South Carolina taxpayers to a new wave of COVID-19-related scams as the agency carries out the second round of Economic Impact Payments.
In recent months, the IRS-CI has seen a variety of Economic Impact Pay (EIP) scams and other financial schemes designed to steal taxpayers’ money and personal information. Criminals are taking advantage of the second round of Economic Impact Payments – as well as the upcoming filing season – to deceive honest taxpayers and take their hard-earned money.
“While this second round of Economic Impact Payments is being issued and we are approaching the time of filing taxes, I would like to remind taxpayers to remain vigilant. Fraudsters continue to exploit this pandemic to victimize the American public, looking for ways to gain access to the taxpayer’s personal and financial information in an effort to fill their own pockets, ”said the special agent responsible, Matthew D. Line.
Some common COVID-19 scams include:
• Text messages asking taxpayers to disclose bank account information under the guise of receiving US $ 1,200 economic impact payments.
• Phishing scams using email, letters and social media messages with keywords like “Coronavirus”, “COVID-19” and “stimulation” in several ways. These communications are sent to a large number of people and are intended to access personally identifiable information and financial account information (including account numbers and passwords).
• Organized and unofficial sale of fake COVID-19 test kits at home (as well as offers to sell fake cures, vaccines, pills and professional medical advice on unproven COVID-19 treatments).
• False requests for donations to individuals, groups and areas heavily affected by
disease.
• False opportunities to invest in companies that develop COVID-19 vaccines, while promising that the “company” will increase dramatically in value as a result.
Although criminals are constantly changing their tactics, taxpayers can help protect themselves by acting as the first line of defense. The best way to avoid falling victim to a scam is to learn how the IRS communicates with taxpayers. The IRS does not send unsolicited texts or emails. The IRS does not call people with threats of imprisonment or lawsuits, nor does it require payment of taxes on gift cards.
The IRS-CI continues to investigate hundreds of COVID-19-related cases with law enforcement agencies at home and abroad and educating taxpayers about fraud.
COVID-19 scams must be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline, by calling 1-866-720-5721, or sent via the NCDF Web Complaint Form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies.
Taxpayers can also report fraud or theft of their Economic Impact Payments to the Inspector General of the Treasury for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Reports can be made online at TIPS.TIGTA.GOV.
Taxpayers who receive unsolicited e-mails or social media attempts to collect information that appears to be from the IRS or an organization closely related to the IRS should forward the message to [email protected]. Taxpayers are encouraged not to get involved with potential scammers online or over the phone.
To learn more about the COVID-19 scams and other financial schemes, visit IRS.gov. Official IRS information on COVID-19 and Economic Impact Payments can be found on the Coronavirus tax relief page, which is updated frequently.