Buffalo Grove Police Warn Residents About Stimulus Check Fraud

The second round of the federal economic impact payments from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have begun to circulate and the Buffalo Grove Police Department encourages residents to remember the below tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:

• The IRS will refer to the ‘Economic Impact Payment’ by its official name, where scammers may use the term ‘Stimulus Check’ or 'Stimulus Payment’.
• The IRS will not contact you by phone, text, social media or email. Do not respond these attempts to contact or click on any links from these sources.
• Visit irs.gov to contact the IRS directly.
• Scammers may promise faster payments. The IRS firmly states faster payments are not an option.
• The IRS will not contact you to verify information.
• You will not ever have to pay a fee to receive your payment.

If you are eligible for the payment and do not receive it through direct deposit, you may receive a paper check by mail or debit card (pictured in the above graphic)

If you think your personal information may have been compromised, the IRS suggests you visit identitytheft.gov. The site allows you to report identity theft to the IRS and FTC simultaneously, and to develop a recovery plan.