NEW! Stimulus Check Scam
New Phishing Scam uses the Stimulus Rebate to Reel in Victims
It’s all over the news; President Bush has approved taxpayers receiving a stimulus check of $600 ($1200 per household) that should begin arriving in May. With that approval the scams started to surface. The newest scam comes in the form of an email purporting to be from the IRS, with instructions for recipients to visit the linked website if they want to receive their rebate check by direct deposit faster than by waiting for it to be mailed. Once on that site, recipients will be asked to provide bank account and routing numbers for the direct deposit to be handled. The scammers add a sense of urgency by giving the recipient a deadline for completing the direct deposit information.
THIS MESSAGE IS A FRAUD! Do not respond to the email or click on the linked website.
It is important for you to know that the IRS does not initiate communication to taxpayers through email. In addition, the IRS will not request detailed personal information through email or ask taxpayers for PIN numbers, passwords, or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank, or other financial accounts.
In this technical day and age, scammers are able to duplicate the look of legitimate websites to the point that you can’t tell the difference. The IRS advises, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Be sure to always get your tax information from www.IRS.gov, the only website sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service. If you have any questions please contact a NAPUS FCU representative at 1-800-336-0284 or visit the “Fraud Corner” on our home page www.napusfcu.org.
