Stimulus fraud

Scammers love taking advantage of chaos and confusion during uncertain times, and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is no exception.

So many people have a desire to help out right now, and phone fraudsters are preying on that instinct. They're using a technique called spoofing to make calls appear like they're coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When you answer, they either ask for personal information or for a donation to Coronavirus efforts.

The federal government doesn't call individuals and ask for donations, and information like your Social Security number or account information won't help anyone fight the virus. Be wary of answering calls from numbers you don't know, and don't give out your information over the phone.

Similarly, stimulus checks from the federal government are meant to provide relief  – but they also create an opportunity for scammers and thieves trying to get your money.

The most likely avenue of attack is a phishing email. The email will claim to be about your stimulus check, perhaps asking for information to verify your identity or for you to click a link to claim your payment. The goal here is either identity theft or installing malware on your computer.

A healthy dose of skepticism can keep you safe online. Before you click, ask yourself, "Would American Express or Paypal really be emailing me about getting my government check?"

The answer is no, probably not. That's because the IRS will issue direct deposits to people who have received tax refunds that way in the past, as their account information is already on file. Everyone else will receive checks in the mail.

If you'd like to provide your account information to get your payment faster, the IRS is establishing a website to do that. Once it's available, get to it by searching for it on a search engine rather than clicking on any links in an email. (Also remember that if you haven't filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019, you'll need to file a simple return to get your stimulus payment. The IRS is working on a form and website for this as well.)