December 30, 2020
The second round of the IRS’ Economic Impact Payments are beginning to be deposited into many American’s accounts this week. The initial direct deposits will begin this week and will continue into next week. Paper checks will be mailed out beginning December 30.
During this time, it is crucial that you remember that criminals will use the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the issuance of these payments to commit fraudulent schemes. We want to help protect you, your personal information and your money. If you want to check your eligibility or the status of your payment, please visit www.irs.gov/eip for more information.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned against several scams centered around COVID-19. Here are helpful tips to prevent falling victim to one of these scams:
- Don’t respond to texts, eMails, or calls about checks that seem to come from the government—the government will not call you about your Economic Impact Payment.
- Ignore online offers for vaccinations and COVID-19 at-home test kits.
- Hang up on robocalls.
- Watch for eMails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control or World Health Organization.
- Be wary of organizations or individuals soliciting donations. Never donate in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money and do your research before you donate.
- Government officials and most financial institutions will never ask for personal or financial information through eMail, text, or unsolicited phone calls. If you have a question about an eMail, text or call you’ve received from your financial institution, you should contact them directly.