Benchmark Federal Credit Union

IRS Reports Economic Stimulus Scams!

As the economic stimulus checks start going out, the IRS has issued an alert that scam artists are actively making the rounds using the proposed rebates as bait.

The most recent scams include:

Rebate Phone Call:

Someone identifying themself as an IRS Employee calls consumers and asks for bank account information for the direct deposit of their rebate. If the individual refuses, they are told that they cannot receive the rebate.

Refund E-Mail:

The bogus e-mail falsely claims to come from the IRS, tells the recipient that they are eligible
for a tax refund for a specific amount, and instructs them to click on a link in the e-mail
to access a refund claim form. The form asks the consumer to enter personal information that
the scamsters can then access.

Audit Email:

This technique will get almost anyone's attention. This phony e-mail notifies the recipient that their
tax return will be audited. The IRS does not send unsolicited, tax-account related e-mails to taxpayers.

Paper Check Phone Call:

In a current telephone scam, a caller claims to be an IRS Employee who is calling because the IRS sent a check to the individual, and since the check has not been cashed, the IRS wants to verify the individual's bank account number. The caller may have a foreign accent.

Changes to Tax Law E-Mail:

This bogus e-mail is addressed to businesses, accountants, and "Treasury" managers. It instructs them to download information on tax law changes by clicking on a series of links to publications on businesses, estate taxes, excise taxes, exempt organizations, and IRAs and other retirement plans.

Individuals who receive a questionable e-mail claiming to come from the IRS should forward it to
phishing@irs.gov. Use instructions contained in an article, "How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Schemes," to help the IRS track the suspicious e-mail to its origins and shut down the scam.

Individuals who receive a questionable telephone call that claims to come from the IRS may also use the phishing@irs.gov mailbox to notify the IRS of the scam.