Authorities are alerting the public about a new text message scam designed to lure individuals into clicking on a malicious link and sharing personal information to supposedly qualify for a $1,400 stimulus check.
The message resembles an official communication from the IRS, indicating that the recipient is eligible for an Economic Impact Payment, which they can supposedly receive within one to two business days by entering their personal details through a link that imitates an IRS website.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on consumer protection, reported receiving notices of this scam in January, reiterating that the IRS does not reach out to taxpayers via text, email, or social media.
The BBB cautioned that clicking the link could potentially lead to “malware” or “a deceptive form requesting personal or financial details.”
This scam emerged following the IRS’s announcement in December regarding the distribution of automatic payments to taxpayers who had not claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns.
However, these payments are available only to those who filed a 2021 tax return without claiming the credit they were eligible for. The IRS communicated this information to eligible individuals via postal mail, and these payments require no action from taxpayers.
The legitimate payments were sent out by the end of January.
Stimulus check scams have been reported since the federal government began issuing payments in 2020 in response to the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A similar scam regarding stimulus checks began circulating in November, shortly after President Donald Trump was re-elected in the 2024 presidential election.
If anyone suspects they have received this fraudulent message, they can report it through the BBB’s Scam Tracker or the IRS scam reporting page.
The Better Business Bureau advises people to avoid scams by not clicking on any unsolicited links and to verify the legitimacy of all communications before taking further actions—scam messages often create a false sense of urgency.
The BBB emphasized, “Authentic IRS notices are sent via postal mail, not through text messages or emails.”
