NASHVILLE (WSMV) – The Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky is warning people of a new IRS scam.
A Midstate woman is also helping in that effort to alert people. Wednesday morning, Maria Jimenez got an email she thought was from the IRS.
“They almost mirror the IRS website and if you’re not familiar with the IRS’ set up, it’s easy to fall for it,” Jimenez said.
The email was about the status of the third round of Economic Impact Payments or stimulus checks.
It said Jimenez was eligible to receive a payment of $532.
“Out of curiosity, I hit the click button. Now it’s not there anymore,” Jimenez said.
Before it went offline, the website wanted her to send in an application with personal information like her social security number. That’s an immediate red flag.
“The IRS already has all of your information. That’s another big flag when they’re asking you to give them private data,” Robyn Householder with the BBB said.
Householder said the IRS will never email you, text you, or call you.
She explained why the scammers are preying on people in August when the payment went out in March.
“There’s just so much information out there about what the government is doing to support the community during this difficult situation and it can be confusing,” Householder said.
On top of that, those who got the stimulus check didn’t need…
