IRS WARNS OF SCAMS

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Thursday warned Americans that scammers and hackers were likely to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to target financial information.

The agency urged taxpayers to be on the lookout for malicious calls, texts, emails and social media posts that requested financial or other personal information, warning that these scams could lead to identity theft or tax fraud.

IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig emphasized that taxpayers should “take extra care” with their financial information as the coronavirus crisis continues.

“The IRS isn’t going to call you asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get an economic impact payment or your refund faster,” Rettig said in a statement. “That also applies to surprise emails that appear to be coming from the IRS. Remember, don’t open them or click on attachments or links. Go to IRS.gov for the most up-to-date information.”

In particular, the IRS highlighted a new “wave” of dangerous phishing emails around the coronavirus stimulus checks that the agency is preparing to either directly deposit in bank accounts or mail out over the next several weeks.