Payments spawning scams

By: 
Staff writer

Anticipation over receiving federal economic stimulus payments has left some area residents vulnerable to scammers, said Ron Craig, Lake Township crime prevention officer.
Scammers are trying to get personal information by promising to get the money to recipients sooner.
Stimulus checks are being handled solely by the Internal Revenue Service, which is a division of the United States Treasury Department.
"The federal government is not authorizing anyone to assist people with these payments. Period. So if you get a call or an email from someone who tells you he or she can help you get your payment sooner, it's a scam," officer Craig noted.
The only priority being given in the sending of payments is for those that the federal government already has their proper banding information on file. Others will need to wait on a check in the mail.
"According to information I have gleaned from the IRS website, those people who have already filed income tax returns for either 2018 or 2019 and had a refund sent to them via direct bank deposit. The IRS will use that banking information to send the payment to you," Craig said. “If you have changed banks or have closed an account to which tax refunds have been sent, you will need to get updated information to the IRS unless you want to wait for the check in the mail.
Taxpayers who haven’t filed a 2018 or 2019 federal income tax return or did not get a refund by direct deposit, may want to contact the IRS through its website, www.irs.gov. The IRS is asking those with questions to not contact the agency by phone.
“It is unknown at this time if contacting the IRS through its website will be in time to get the payment via direct deposit. What is known, however, is that if someone besides the IRS tells you they can assist you in getting the updated information to the IRS, don't fall for it,” Craig said. "If you get Social Security payments sent to you via direct bank deposits and you receive a Form SSA-1099 at the beginning of each year showing how much Social Security you received the previous year, the IRS will use that banking information to send your stimulus payment. This is true whether or not you have filed tax returns for 2018 or 2019."

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