As the monthly installments of the child tax credit payments have started rolling out, it’s a good time to remind you that scammers are rampantly targeting families eligible for receiving this credit.
Tens of millions of families have started to receive up to $300 per child, and the IRS is warning Americans to stay alert for scammers trying to steal their money.
“Be alert to criminals who ask you, by phone, email, text – or even on social media, to verify your information,” the IRS said.
These interactions are fake and should be ignored or even reported. The IRS will never use these methods to request your personal or financial information.
“When it comes to phone calls, remember the IRS does not leave pre-recorded, urgent or threatening messages. For example, if you get a voice mail saying a warrant will be issued for your arrest… this is not the IRS.”
Stay vigilant against other red flags—such as someone asking or payment via a gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
Some scammers will attempt to gain access to your information through phishing attempts. Do not click on links in unsolicited emails or websites posing as legitimate sites (be sure to check the URL and verify that it is correct). Unwittingly giving up this information could lead to theft, tax fraud, and identity theft.
Most eligible parents will already have a child tax credit deposit hit their bank accounts without taking any action themselves. The IRS is using bank information on file from 2019 and 2020 tax returns. If this is the case for you, no additional action is needed.
However, if you are not required to file a tax return, go to this IRS page to provide information for basic payments, which arrive on the 15th of every month.
Source: NPR