The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division issued a warning Thursday about a new wave of COVID-19 scams tied to the latest round of stimulus payments, especially targeting taxpayers in the District of Columbia.
The warning comes amid heightened tension in Washington after a riot last week at the Capitol that left five people dead and scores of people injured and led to an unprecedented second impeachment of President Trump on Wednesday. Washington is also bracing for possible protests next week around the time of the inauguration of President-elect Biden. National Guard troops have amassed at the Capitol to protect it.
The new COVID-19 scams echo some of the same schemes seen last year when the previous round of Economic Impact Payments was sent to taxpayers. However, in the last several months, the IRS’s CI unit said it has seen a variety of EIP scams and other financial schemes with the goal of stealing money and personal information from taxpayers. Criminals are taking advantage of the second EIP round, along with the impending tax-filing season, to trick honest taxpayers out of their money.
For more than 20 years, Stephanie has brought her passion for employee wellness to industries of all sizes. Her attention to aligning mental and physical health brought forth a much-needed alignment of wellness and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services for the clients she has served. She combines fourteen years of EAP experience with a background in Human Resources, coaching and wellness program operations.
Stephanie is a Duquesne University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Organization Behavior and Leadership, she holds a certificate in Human Resources Management from Robert Morris University and holds a number of wellness certifications, including a Holistic Fitness Specialist and Lifestyle Wellness Coaching certification from NETA and Certified Corporate Wellness Coach (CCWC) from The Spencer Institute. Stephanie has conducted hundreds of speaking engagements and presently serves as the Director of Wellness for AllOne Health.
Michele Harbaugh has been a human resource professional for more than 20 years and currently manages health and benefits for Yoga Joint, which operates eight yoga studios across South Florida. Michele's professional dream is for employees to see human resources as a tool for them, not the dreaded "principal's office". She does this through actively engaging the team, having open and honest conversations, and interpreting policies into everyday language. She is on a mission to put the human back in human resources, help employees thrive at their workplace, and contribute to the company's overall growth.
Dr. Dave Rengachary is Senior Vice President and Head of Underwriting for U.S. Mortality Markets at RGA Reinsurance Company, where he has served instrumental roles in setting the risk philosophy for the department, oversight of US Manual development, leadership roles across numerous USMM underwriting initiatives and regulatory engagements. He previously served as Chief Medical Director for RGA
Prior to joining RGA in 2013, he was a general neurologist in practice at Missouri Baptist Medical Center where he also served as medical director for their Primary Stroke Center. Dr. Rengachary attended the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University. He then completed an adult neurology residency at Washington University followed by a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology. He serves on the board of directors of Memory Home Care Solutions and Oasis, non-profit organizations respectively dedicated to Alzheimer's caregiver support and healthy aging. He has obtained board certification in neurology, insurance medicine, FALU, and FLMI. Dr. Rengachary recently received his executive M.B.A. through the program at the Olin Business School at Washington University.
In 2021 Dr. Rengachary accepted a position as chair of ACLI's Risk Classification Committee. He is Past-President of the Midwestern Medical Directors Association; current Deputy Director of the Longer Life Foundation; Medical Consultant for the Academy of Life Underwriting; and a past member
“IRS-CI wants to make sure all residents of the District are aware of the potential scams to help prevent them from becoming victimized,” said Kelly R. Jackson, special agent in charge of IRS-CI's Washington, D.C., Field Office, in a statement. “Please stay vigilant of potential scammers looking to steal your personal information and your money.”
Some of the common COVID-19 scams seen by IRS-CI agents include:
- Text messages asking taxpayers to disclose bank account information under the guise of receiving the $1,200 EIPs;
- Phishing scams using email, letters and social media messages with key words such as “coronavirus,” “COVID-19” and “stimulus” in different ways — these communications are sent to large numbers of people and aim to access personally identifying information and financial account information (including account numbers and passwords);
- The organized and unofficial sale of fake at-home COVID-19 test kits (along with offers to sell fake cures, vaccines, pills and professional medical advice regarding unproven COVID-19 treatments);
- Fake donation requests for individuals, groups and areas heavily affected by COVID-19;
- Bogus opportunities to invest in companies developing COVID-19 vaccines while promising that the “company” will dramatically increase in value as a result.
Taxpayers who get unsolicited emails or social media attempts to gather information that appear to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS should forward the message to phishing@irs.gov. The IRS is encouraging them not to communicate with potential scammers online or over the phone.
