IRS fake stimulus check tax refund email scam

In 2020 and 2021, the federal government sent three batches economic impact paymentsAlso known as the stimulus check, to provide financial relief to many Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, some VERIFICATION viewers, including Felacia, messaged our team saying they recently received an email claiming to be from the IRS with a subject line that read: “Payment Status Third Round Economic Impact Available.”

The emails allege that recipients will be able to claim a 2023 tax refund if they provide the missing information and send the document to what appears to be the IRS as soon as possible. Our viewers want to know if these emails are legitimate.

Does the IRS email taxpayers about the third economic impact payment?

No, the IRS does not email taxpayers about the third economic impact payment. This is a scam scam.

In May 2023, shortly after the end of the tax season, IRS issued a warning to taxpayers about online scammers who fraudulently use IRS names or logos in fake emails to steal people’s identities through a type of scam known as Cheat.

“Scams currently include fake emails that are believed to come from the IRS and lure victims into the scam by telling them they are about to get a refund,” the IRS writes on its website.

First, these fake emails claim that the IRS will provide the status of a third economic impact payment. But this is wrong.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and IRS say identity thieves have used economic impact payments to trick people into giving away their personal or financial information. as of October 2021. However, these payments are no longer available to be promulgated by the IRS in 2023. That’s because US Rescue Plan Act of 2021 requires the third and final round of economic impact payments to be issued by December 31, 2021.

Second, these phishing emails ask taxpayers for a refund after they provide the IRS with the missing information by clicking the link at the bottom of the email that says “fill in my details.” But that’s not how the IRS handles tax refunds.

The IRS says if it needs more information from taxpayers, it will send them a letter by regular mail. That’s because the IRS doesn’t initiate contacting taxpayers via email, text message, or social media channels to request personal or financial information.

The IRS says it usually refunds taxes within 21 days of filing a federal income tax return. But as of July 17, 2023, the agency said experience delay in the handling of returns.

“This job usually doesn’t require us to correspond with taxpayers, but it does require special handling by IRS staff, so in these cases it would take more than 21 days for the IRS to issue any any refunds involved,” the IRS says on its website. website.

If you’ve received an email claiming to be from the IRS asking for personal information, the IRS says you should follow these tips:

• Do not answer.
• Do not open any attachments. These may contain malicious code that can infect your computer or mobile phone.
• Do not click on any links. Sightseeing IRS Identity Protection Page if you have clicked on a link in a suspicious email or website and entered confidential information.
• Forward (preferably with full email subject line) email as-is to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. Do not forward scanned images as this will remove valuable information.
• Delete the original email.

“Any random incoming text message, phone call, or email asking for bank account information, asking recipients to click on a link or verify data is considered suspicious and deleted without notice. open. This includes not only stimulus payments but also tax refunds and other common problems,” the IRS said.

You can find the most up-to-date information on your tax refund status using Where is my refund? tool on the IRS website. Where is my refund? The tool has a tracker that shows progress through 3 stages: (1) Returns received, (2) Refunds approved, and (3) Refunds sent.

If you experience any financial loss as a result of an IRS-related scam, you can report it to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) And file a complaint with the FTC.