Stay alert to scams, coronavirus and otherwise

In accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury are working to deliver a second round of Economic Impact Payments to eligible American workers, families, and small businesses.

Scammers viewing this as an opportunity to take advantage of others have devised schemes to try and steal sensitive personal information and/or intercept these EIP funds before they ever reach their intended recipients.

Late last year, the IRS issued a press release warning people of a “COVID-related text message scam” that attempts to trick people into divulging their personal bank account information. The text falsely states that a direct deposit has been made into an individual’s bank account, but “further action” is required in order to accept it. The person is directed to click on a link that actually takes them to a phishing site, where they are then prompted to enter the username and password to their bank account (irs.gov/newsroom/irs-warns-people-about-a-covid-related-text-message-scam).

Last week I received an email from an individual that claimed, “Your Stimulus payment has now been issued to your chosen bank account. Please allow up to 5 hours for the funds to clear the account.” If I wanted to “view the payment,” I needed to click on a link within the email and access the site by “using your own personal login details.” The email also included an attachment I could open instead of using the link. That email was deleted, but not before being forwarded to the IRS.

Though these contact attempts may seem legitimate and authentic at first glance, they are not. The fake link in the email I received was nearly identical to a URL belonging to the IRS, save for a single additional letter included in the web address line.

It’s important to note that the IRS “initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service,” not via unsolicited texts or emails. The agency does not issue demands for immediate payments or cash transfers, nor does it try to intimidate people with phone calls threatening immediate arrest.

If you receive a suspicious text or email imploring you to take action in order to receive an EIP, delete it. Don’t reply or click on any attachments, as these can contain malicious malware which can then be embedded into your device. If a prompting comes via phone call, hang up.

Reporting phishing attempts to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov can help combat these types of scams.

Additional information on how to spot a scam and report it can be found at irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing. The U.S. Department of the Treasury website has information on EIPs and related scams at home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares.

Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.