At the end of last week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert urging Floridians who have not already received a stimulus payment from the federal government to take steps to avoid benefits-related scams.
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), millions of Americans have already received stimulus payments and millions more are still waiting on the emergency benefits. The IRS created a payment tracking tool for those still waiting.
“This new tool can help Floridians avoid stimulus-related fraud. By working directly with the IRS to track your payment—the likelihood of being duped by scammers sending fake messages designed to steal payments or personal information is greatly reduced. I want to encourage all Floridians to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 news and government actions associated with the pandemic, so they are better prepared to spot and report scams,” Moody said on Friday.
The new payment tracking tool can be accessed at IRS.gov. On the website, users can also access the IRS tool designed to allow beneficiaries to request an earlier stimulus payment. Payments are being made via direct deposit and checks in the mail. While the website experienced some early glitches, it appears to now be operating.
