There have been reports of scammers sending bogus email messages about the third round of stimulus checks in order to steal people’s personal and financial information, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
The third round of stimulus checks is already in the hands of millions of Americans totaling $1,400, which is part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
Scammers are trying to take advantage of this situation by sending e-mails to people who have not received their third stimulus payment, CNBC reports.
It requests that people click a link in the emails in order to get their third stimulus check.
“The link is a trick,” said Cristina Miranda of the agency’s Division of Consumer and Business Education.
“If you click it, a scammer might steal your money and your personal information to commit identity theft,” she stated.
According to CNBC, it’s a scam involving impersonators.
It occurs when scammers pose as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Since the pandemic started, more than 12,500 Americans have filed fraud reports.
“The IRS doesn’t initiate contact by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information — even information related to the Economic Impact Payments,” according to the tax agency.
“Also, watch out for emails with attachments or links claiming to have special information about Economic Impact Payments or refunds.”