Fourth Stimulus Check Update: IRS Warns Against Scams, Highest In 10 Years

The IRS this week warned Americans against scams that involve the federal government’s economic impact payments after it recorded the highest number of reports in a decade. This comes as calls for a fourth stimulus check continue to grow.

In a news release on Tuesday, the agency warned about the recent rise in phishing scams, which aim to convince its victims to enter personal information into a fraudulent site. The agency also said it has received a record number of reports in June and July of this year—the highest they have recorded over the past decade.

"Even though taxpayers have received multiple rounds of Economic Impact Payments, we saw phishing scams surge this summer," Jim Lee, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation, said in the news release.

"The number of reported scam attempts reached levels we haven't seen in more than a decade. More than ever, it is important for taxpayers to continue to protect their personal information and not fall victim to these scams."

The scammers would attempt to mirror legitimate IRS communications, such as text messages and email, to convince taxpayers to enter their personal information to “qualify” for a another direct payment or a fourth stimulus check. Some scams even promise fast-tracking payments if the victims pay a certain fee.

“I’ve seen a lot of young people, teenagers and people in their 20s being very quick to click on links on their phone thinking it's safe. They are just as likely to get scammed by the criminals as anyone else,” Brian Watson, an official for the Tucson Internal Revenue Service, told KGUN9.

Those who receive text messages and emails from an organization claiming to be the IRS are urged to look out for fraud indicators, which could include grammatical, capitalization and spelling errors. The IRS also advises people to be cautious of shortened links as it can lead to fake online websites.

The agency will also never send unsolicited emails and text messages, nor will it demand taxes to be paid through gift cards or threaten jails and lawsuits. The IRS will only send letters in the mail.

Taxpayers who suspect they have received unsolicited mail that appears to be from the IRS or an organization affiliated with the IRS are urged to report the incident to phishing@irs.gov.

The increase in phishing scam reports comes as calls for a fourth round of stimulus checks continue to grow amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A petition posted on Change.org by a Denver restaurant owner calling the U.S. Congress to send out $2,000 monthly relief payments has reached 2,857,671 signatures as of Sunday evening of its 3 million goal.

Lawmakers in Congress have yet to indicate any plans to pass legislation that would give millions of Americans more relief checks.