NEW ORLEANS — As millions of Americans begin to receive stimulus checks to help alleviate the effects of the recession caused by COVID-19, scammers are taking the health crisis as an opportunity to access personal banking information, according to Ernie Burns with Burns Estate Planning & Wealth Advisors.
“We got a few calls about that already,” Burns said, speaking with WWL-TV’s Paul Dudley Tuesday. “Basically, people calling for individual bank information so they can deposit the checks -- we’ve had a couple calls on that already.”
Americans could get as much as $1,200, if they make $75,000 or less a year. Couples may get as much as $2,400, if they earn less than $150,000. Parents will get a $500 payment for each of their children. Scammers pretending to be the federal government are using the crisis to get personal banking information, but not if you are smart about it.
“The IRS, SBA or the Social Security Office are not going to call you for your personal information, like your bank account or anything of that nature,” Burns said. “Just make sure that you are thinking twice before you answer personal questions about identity.”
Burns also recommends avoiding phishing emails and phony websites that look official. Do not respond to calls or texts from unknown or suspicious numbers. Never share personal or financial information via email, text message or over the phone. Do not click links in any suspicious emails or text messages. If you believe you’ve been a victim of a coronavirus scam, contact law enforcement immediately.
To help Americans track their stimulus payments, the IRS has launched the “get my payment” feature on their website. Starting Wednesday, it will let consumers check their payment status, confirm whether they prefer direct deposit or a paper check and enter their bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn't have it yet, according to CBS News.
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