IRS warns Idaho taxpayers about COVID-19 scams

| January 17, 2021 1:00 AM

The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division is warning Idaho taxpayers about a new wave of COVID-19-related scams as the agency delivers the second round of Economic Impact Payments.

In the last several months, IRS-CI has seen a variety of Economic Impact Payment scams and other financial schemes designed to steal money and personal information from taxpayers.

Some common COVID-19 scams include:

• Text messages asking taxpayers to disclose bank account information under the guise of receiving the $1,200 Economic Impact Payments.

• Phishing schemes using email, letters and social media messages with key words such as “Coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” and “stimulus” in varying ways.

• The organized and unofficial sale of fake at-home COVID-19 test kits

• Fake donation requests for individuals, groups and areas heavily affected by the disease.

• Bogus opportunities to invest in companies developing COVID-19 vaccines while promising that the “company” will dramatically increase in value as a result.

The IRS says it does not send unsolicited texts or emails. The IRS does not call people with threats of jail or lawsuits, nor does it demand tax payments on gift cards.

COVID-19 scams should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or submitted through the NCDF Web Complaint Form.