BBB: Watch Out for Scammers Targeting Child Tax Credits

Better Business Bureau is warning you about scammers that are after child tax credits.

From July 15 through December 2021, if you qualify for payments through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said it sends monthly payments direct deposit, paper check, or debit cards.

These payments advance on the child tax credit, which means eligible people will get up to half of their child tax credit in these monthly payments and the other half when they file their 2021 taxes. You can go click here to see who qualifies, how much you may receive, and how to address any problems. You will also have the option of unenrolling from the Advance payments program.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, when it comes to the government in the news, the scammers will likely use their standard playbook, meaning impostor scams may appear, with con artists pretending to “help” you get your payments earlier, get more money, or commit identity theft.

BBB serving Central Ohio and the FTC have these tips:

.Avoid Impostor scams – Government agencies like the IRS or Social Security Administration will not call, text, DM, or email you.

.Do not give out any personal information, like social security numbers, bank account information, or credit/debit card numbers.

.When someone is requiring payments by gift card, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, it is likely a scam.

You can find more information on how to avoid scams by reading 10 Steps to avoid scams: https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/8767-bbb-tips-10-steps-to-avoid-scams

If you have been the victim of this or another scam, make others aware by filing a report at BBB’s Scam Tracker: https://bbb.org/ScamTracker

You can also report scams to the FTC here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/