Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 5-1-20

Feature
Officials Warn Of Stimulus Check Scams
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The U. S. government began mailing Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks) to residents earlier this week. As a result of sev- eral types of scams being deployed, officials are warn- ing citizens not to fall victim to scam artists.
Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister are warning citizens to be cautious.
Attorney Warren
said, “Scammers around the world want your stimulus
ANDREW WARRREN Hillsborough County State Attorney
money. Your best protec- tion is to make sure you don’t become a victim.”
He provided three im-
portant points to remem- ber:
(1) Don’t give out your sensitive informa- tion. The IRS or banks will not contact you for financial information.
(2) Be skeptical of anyone saying they want to “help” you get the money. You will not have to click a mysterious link online, make a pay- ment or give a gift card to receive the money.
(3) When in doubt, seek them out. If you are not sure about a call, text, or email you receive, don’t re- spond, even if the message appears to come from a
CHAD CHRONISTER Hillsborough County Sheriff
during a global pandemic there are still people out there looking to prey on others. It’s important for everyone to take steps to protect their identity and their money.
“As stimulus checks ar- rive, be on the lookout for scam text messages and emails asking you to follow a link to share your per- sonal information or fake calls from the IRS.”
Anyone who think he or she may be a victim can contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud, oper- ated by the U. S. Depart- ment of Justice, at 1-866-720-5721.
bank or agency.
Sheriff
government
Chronister
said, “It’s unfortunate that
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A