A warning from the IRS: Scammers in Seattle and abroad will try to prey on payments

A needed, welcome message from the Internal Revenue Service would seem an oxymoron to taxpayers normally struggling to fill out returns at this time of year.

But the IRS delivered on Thursday a detailed warning on how scammers will try to get at payments soon going out to Americans under the $2.2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress last week.

"Taxpayers should be extra vigilant for unsolicited phonecalls or emails concerning their economic impact payments," Justin Campbell, IRS agent-in-charge in Seattle, said in an emailed statement.

The payments are slated to go out "in a manner of weeks" according to the IRA. Most will be deposited directly in accounts of taxpayers. At greater danger, however, are the "unbanked," largely elderly taxpayers, who are accustomed to receiving tax refunds by paper check.

The IRS is outlining, as did Attorney General Bob Ferguson earlier this week, three possible devices that scanners can use:

-- Scammers will offer to make money available immediately, if taxpayers promise to sign over checks and make personal information available. Another gambit is to charge a "processing fee" or a fee to receive your check early.

-- Scammers will pretend to be calling from the IRS, asking taxpayers to "verify" their filing information (e.g. social security numbers and bank information).

-- Scammers may resort to sending false "checks" in the mail or over the next few days, asking the taxpayer recipient to "verify" online or call to verify.

If you receive a scam phone call, the IRS has two words of advice: hang up. In Seattle, a popular scam has been to call elderly people, pose as a representative of Seattle City Light, and warn of an imminent cutoff of power if an overdue bill is not paid. The scam callers are trained to sound threatening.

"Predictably, scammers seek out those in our community who are receiving money during a time of fear and distress," Brian Moran, U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, said in a statement. "Do not give out your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information -- even if someone claims it is necessary to get your economic impact payment. Beware of this scam."

AG Ferguson, in a warning Monday, added, "Scammers often prey on fear."

The IRS' Criminal Investigation Division is pledging, in Campbell's words, to "aggressively investigate anyone who seeks to defraud our community members." So is AG Ferguson, who has sent along a helpful link.

The city of Olympia issued its own warning Thursday: "The (federal) government will not ask you to pay anything upfront. The government will not call to ask you your Social Security number or credit card number."

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