Are you a United States citizen living abroad? For millions of expatriates, help from home is on the way in the form of COVID-19 economic impact payments. Unfortunately, scammers also are on the way, and they\u2019re eager to pluck the payment from your pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on your income, U.S. expatriates can get up to $1,200 each, or up to $2,400 for couples, plus $500 for each qualifying child, just as you would if living stateside. And, most people don\u2019t need to do anything to get their payments. The IRS will deposit your payment directly to your U.S. bank account (the IRS can\u2019t direct deposit money to a foreign account), or mail your payment\u00a0using information from your 2018 or 2019 tax return or from your Social Security retirement or other federal benefits program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven\u2019t filed a federal tax return for 2018 or 2019 and don\u2019t get any federal benefits, you may have to give the IRS sensitive information, including your Social Security number and bank account number (if you have one), to get your payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scammers will try to take advantage of this to try to steal your money, your personal information, or both. So, to help avoid scammers, use only irs.gov\/coronavirus<\/a><\/strong> and the tools there<\/a> to submit sensitive information to the IRS. Use the IRS\u2019s guide to figure out which IRS tool to use<\/a>. And, visit the IRS\u2019s Economic Impact Payment Center<\/a> for answers to common questions. Consider talking with a tax professional if your tax filing situation is complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With economic impact money flowing in, and many people confused about the distribution process, this is a time to stay on high alert for scammers. Here are some things that ONLY scammers will do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n