WASHINGTON, DC - Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is asking the government to make residents aware of scammers trying to take advantage of people receiving checks during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Grassley wants an IRS watchdog,the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, to inform residents about frauds and scams during the pandemic, especially those involving payments people are getting from the $2 trillion economic relief bill passed by Congress.
The Senator sent a letter to the IRS watchdog, saying scammers are contacting residents claiming to be from the IRS or Treasury Department, and offering COVID-19 assistance that requires the sharing of personal financial information. The scammers then use the information to "steal from their unsuspecting victims,” according to Grassley.
The Senator co-authored the $2 trillion package, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Grassley chairs the Senate Finance Committee, and has asked for a briefing to review the government's efforts to uncover and prevent COVID-19 related fraud.