Economic Stimulus Scam

Some scams are so convincing, it can be difficult to tell when an email is legitimate. After all, it walks like a duck and looks like a duck.

That's why it's so important that people remain vigilant regarding email scams.

The latest seems to be around the Economic Stimulus Package checks.

Most of us have received our checks so this may seem like one of the more innocuous scams, but for some folks who may not have even qualified in the first place (they would have received their checks already), it can prove as dangerous as any other we've told you about.

Potential victims get an email instructing them to open a link (supposedly to an IRS site) where they are asked for typical information those phishers love to get including social security and checking account numbers.

The email states that the recipient must provide all information to get their check. In addition to the potential dangers of providing unknown, faceless Internet criminals with sensitive information, you may also be downloading malicious software spyware to your computer.

This is obviously not the work of the IRS. Like banks and other respectable institutions, government agencies don't make a habit of requesting information they work to help you keep private. They also remind taxpayers that to qualify get an economic stimulus check, all one had to do was file a 2007 tax return and meet the eligibility requirements.

People who receive scam emails can help the IRS by forwarding the original email message to them at phishing@irs.gov.

The e-mail must be forwarded using special instructions at http://www.irs.gov/ or it loses the encoding needed to track it to its source.

To be eligible for the tax stimulus, taxpayers had to meet the following requirements:

Families who gained a qualifying child or an additional qualified child by birth, adoption, etc, during 2008.

An individual who was otherwise eligible based on his/her 2007 tax return but who could be claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2007 tax return and therefore received no ESP and who is eligible based on his/her 2008 tax return and cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2008 tax return.

Someone who received less than the maximum stimulus payment ($600 individual/$1,200 married filing joint) during 2008 because their 2007 income was too high or too low, and their 2008 income has changed.

Someone who did not file a 2007 tax return by Oct. 15.

By-line : This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of cell phone deals. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com