It's almost gift giving season and that means that the scammers are out in hordes!  They’re pretending to be the IRS, contacting people by phone, text, email, and social media — and sending people to official-looking websites that look just like the IRS.

Before you respond to anyone who reaches out to you, here are a few things to know:

• You don't need to do anything to get the Child Tax Credit payments, because the IRS is using information from the 2019 or 2020 income tax returns to determine whether you qualify. See: IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021 to provide basic information for the Child Tax Credit.

• The IRS (and other government agencies) will never text, email, or contact you on social media asking for your personal or financial information.
  

• The IRS does not use robocalls and will not call about something urgent or threatening. The IRS will also not call to ask taxpayers to give or verify financial information to get your Child Tax Credit payments.

• The IRS will never ask for a payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. The IRS and other government agencies will also never ask you to pay to get financial help.

If you have questions, start at irs.gov to get answers. And if someone says they’re from the IRS and contacts you about the Child Tax Credit, report it to the IRS and ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you think a scammer has any of your personal or financial information, visit IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.

AUTHOR: CECILLE DOAN, STAFF ATTORNEY FOR THE CENTER FOR ARKANSAS LEGAL SERVICES