On Monday, Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert warning that scammers may attempt to target recipients of the Child Tax Credit payments.
Last week, eligible parents started to receive a monthly advance payment on the Child Tax Credit as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. An estimated 36 million families will continue to receive payments from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of up to $300 per child, per month.
Anytime the federal government is doling out huge amounts of money, scammers pounce—trying to make a quick, dishonest dollar. With this latest round of federal stimulus money slated to be distributed, parents should be on the lookout for scams,” Moody said.
Moody asked eligible Floridians to stay informed about the payment schedule to avoid scams and to seek out verified sources of information, such as the IRS, to stay up to date. The following tips will also help Floridians spot and avoid scams related to the Child Tax Credit payments:
- Eligible families will receive payments automatically and do not have to sign up or register for Child Tax Credit payments;
- The IRS will never randomly call, text, email or direct message anyone asking for money or personal information. If asked, hang up immediately and directly contact the business or agency that the fraudster was impersonating;
- The IRS will never ask for payment via gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency; and
- Any offers to speed up the delivery time of a Child Tax Credit payment is a scam.
In June, the IRS sent letters about the Child Tax Credit to eligible parents and guardians. Letters and payments should go to families based on 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return information, although filing a tax return is not required to receive the credit. Floridians can also use the Non-Filers tool on the IRS website to check eligibility status.
