Iredell County Sheriff Warns Of New Financial Scam: Tips To Avoid

IREDELL COUNTY, NC — Iredell County residents and anyone receiving advance child tax credits should be on guard against potential scammers, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell warned Tuesday.

Pandemic economic relief through advance payouts of the child tax credits, which are included in the American Rescue Plan, began this past month, creating a new opportunity for scammers.

"The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office wants to warn you about a new financial scam which is going on around the country. Scammers are or are attempting to use the Child Tax Credit to steal individual’s personal information, or money," ICSO said.

It's not the first time scammers have attempted to capitalize off the coronavirus pandemic.

In North Carolina, at least 204,000 people fell victim to reported online scams in 2020, a 19 percent increase from the more than 171,000 reported in 2019, according to Comparitech, a technology research company that analyzed data from the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau, Finance Crimes Enforcement Network and Internet Crime Complaint Center.

North Carolina is part of a national trend that saw an increase in Americans who reported online scams, from 3.8 million to 4.77 million from 2019 to 2020 — a 25 percent increase, according to Comparitech. Approximately, 19.45 victims per 1,000 people in North Carolina were reported in 2020, up from 16.33 in 2019, Comparitech found.

Scam victims in North Carolina were out nearly $154 million in 2020, compared with about $95 million in 2019, according to Comparitech. The lost dollars in North Carolina are part of the $5.1 million lost nationally in 2019 and $7 million in 2020.

"Scammers are good at what they do, or else they wouldn't be scammers," Nichole Thomas, a BBB spokeswoman who works out of the Northern Indiana office in Fort Wayne, Indiana, told Patch. "When they find something that works, they really hone in on that."

SEE ALSO: Internet Scams In North Carolina See Uptick Amid Pandemic

Here's are some important things to remember to insure you don't fall victim to a scam, according to ICSO:

• If you receive a phone call, email, text or social media message offering to help you sign up for the Child Tax Credit or speed up the monthly payments is most likely a scam.
• Taxpayers are urged not to provide personal information, click on links or open attachments in unsolicited communication appearing to come from the Internal Revenue Service
• The IRS does not contact people through email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.
• The IRS also does not leave pre-recorded or threatening messages warning about an arrest or lawsuit, or call taxpayers to provide or verify financial information in order to receive the Child Tax Credit.
• Finally, the IRS does not ask for payment in the form of gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.

SEE ALSO:

• Masks To Be Optional When MGSD Students Return To Class Next Week
• 3 Juveniles, 2 Adults Charged In $200K Heist At Mooresville Home
  
• Stop Child Hunger Act: 7 North Carolina Groups Back Passage