It might feel like your lucky day if you get a text from the IRS saying you have an unclaimed stimulus check. Unfortunately, it’s actually a scammer trying to steal your personal info.
Thieves are impersonating the IRS in texts that tell you to click on a link to claim your money, but it’s a phishing scam designed to steal your personal information, according to a Better Business Bureau scam alert.
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The scam may sound believable because it’s at least partly based on facts. In late December, the Internal Revenue Service announced it would issue automatic payments to eligible people who didn’t claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns.
Adding to the confusion, billionaire Elon Musk recently floated the idea that the government could send out a “DOGE dividend” payment, which sounded similar to pandemic-era stimulus checks.
However, if you qualified for a stimulus check but did not claim the rebate on your 2021 tax return, the IRS said you would automatically receive your payment by late January 2025, with no action required on your end. Here’s what you need to know if you get a text about a stimulus check.
What’s the Recovery Rebate Credit scam?
The recovery rebate credit scam preys on the popularity of stimulus checks. Scammers send a text claiming you’re eligible to receive a $1,400 Economic Impact Payment. To receive your money, you just need to click on the link and provide your personal info, the text says.
But instead, the link will take you to a fake IRS website, which may install malware on your device or steal the personal information you enter to get your check.
Am I getting another stimulus check?
If you were eligible for all three stimulus checks between 2020 and 2021 and you received them, then you are not getting another check. If you didn’t get the full amount of the third economic impact payment, you may be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit.
If you’re eligible, you probably received your money from the IRS in January or early February this year. The payment should have been sent to the address or bank account you listed on your 2023 tax return, according to the IRS announcement. The IRS also mailed a letter notifying you if you’re receiving this payment.
The federal government sent a total of three stimulus checks, also known as economic impact payments, to help boost the economy during the pandemic. Two payments were sent in 2020 and a third was sent in 2021. If you didn’t get the full amount of the third payment, you could claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return.
If you haven’t filed your 2021 tax return, you have until April 15, 2025, to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. You shouldn’t have to do anything else — the payment should be automatically sent to the address or bank account listed on your tax return.
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How to protect yourself from the stimulus check scam
The best way to protect yourself from the stimulus check scam is to remember that the IRS will never send you an unsolicited text. It says so on its website.
In general, if you get a text or email with a link to what the sender says is the IRS, you should do a few things:
- If there is an attachment, do not open it.
- If there is a link, do not click on it.
- Screenshot the message or forward it to phishing@irs.gov. Then delete the text.
What to do if you’re a victim of the scam
If you did click on the so-called IRS link and entered any personal information, there are a few steps you should take immediately.
- Call your bank and credit card issuers. Alert your bank, credit card and other financial institutions that you’re a victim of identity theft. They should be able to lock your accounts quickly. You should also review your accounts for suspicious activity.
- Call the police. Even if this is a situation where the criminals are likely halfway across the world, local law enforcement will want to know about it so they can alert others in your community.
- Contact the FBI. The FBI says that if you’ve been a victim of a scam or fraud scheme, you should report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission. Report the theft to FTC on its identity theft page, where you’ll find additional resources and suggestions.
- Freeze your credit. While freezing your credit won’t undo any harm already done, it can stop criminals from using your information to open new lines of credit.
- Lock your Social Security number. If you gave your Social Security number to the fake IRS website, you can lock it by contacting the Social Security Administration.
- Subscribe to an identity theft protection service. Consider getting an identity theft protection service that will monitor your personal information. Aura is CNET’s top pick for identity theft software.
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