April 21, 2020
The IRS is warning Americans to be watchful of scammers. As reported by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, with funding being distributed so widely, scammers are leveraging several tools to try to separate individuals from that cash — most notably phishing emails, phone calls and texts. Fraudsters use these communications to spur people to provide personal information, falsely claiming the IRS needs to confirm Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or addresses before making payment. Once scammers have that information, they can steal money and identities.
The IRS never calls and never emails. Unless you’ve received notice via postal mail, any communications claiming to be from the IRS are likely fraudulent.
Another tell-tale sign is the language used in communications. While the media and general public may refer to the $1,200 tax credits as “stimulus payments” or “stimulus checks,” the federal government does not use that terminology. Rather, the IRS refers to them as “Economic Impact Payments.”
We will share more details as they become available. Please visit our COVID-19 Resource Page for more updates.
Feel free to contact any member of our team at (610) 828-1900 (PA) or (732) 341-3893 (NJ) with questions. Rich Higgins, CPA, managing principal – New Jersey office can be contacted at
Richard.Higgins@MCC-CPAs.com
. I can be reached at
Marty.McCarthy@MCC-CPAs.com
. As always, we are happy to help.
Stay safe,
Marty McCarthy, CPA, CCIFP
Managing Partner
McCarthy & Company
Disclaimer: This alert is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Information contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used as tax advice, and cannot be used by the recipient to avoid penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. We strongly advise you to seek professional assistance with respect to your specific issue(s).
