Advance Child Tax Credit Scam
The Internal Revenue
Service has issued a consumer alert, warning
taxpayers about a new scam targeting potential
recipients of the Advance Child Tax Credit.
In the scheme, a taxpayer receives a telephone
call from a person who promises to speed up
the payment of the Advance Child Tax Credit
checks provided the taxpayer pays $39.99 on
a credit card.
The IRS has urged financial institutions
to remind taxpayers that no person or organization
can "speed up" the payment of tax
benefits.
Taxpayers do not have to take any action
to get the new benefit, which features an
advance payment of up to $400 per qualifying
child. Treasury and the IRS will perform all
the calculations and automatically mail a
notice and a check to each eligible taxpayer.
According to the IRS the latest scam continues
a trend observed earlier this year, where
scam artists use current events to prey on
unsuspecting victims.
Anyone who encounters this latest tax scam
is asked to call the IRS tax fraud hotline,
(800) 829-0433.