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Do you think your economic impact payment has landed in the hands of an identity thief? You can report it to the FTC and the IRS at the same time. Here’s what to do.

Visit IdentityTheft.gov, the government’s one-stop resource for people to report identity theft and get a personal recovery plan. Click “Get started.” The next page asks, “Which statement best describes our situation?” Click the line that says, “Someone filed a Federal tax return – or claimed an economic stimulus payment – using my information.” You’re on your way.

Logo: Coronavirus Scams: Tips from the FTCIdentityTheft.gov will ask you some questions so that it can complete an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039) for you, and submit it electronically to the IRS. You can include a personal statement too, to tell the IRS details about how your identity was misused to claim your economic impact payment. You also can download a copy of your completed Affidavit for your files. And, IdentityTheft.gov also will give you a recovery plan with steps you can take to help protect yourself from further identity theft.

Use IdentityTheft.gov to report suspected identity theft only. If you have other concerns about your economic impact payment, visit the IRS’s Economic Impact Payment Information Center and Get My Payment Frequently Asked Questions pages for detailed, and frequently-updated, answers to questions. You also can find information here about payments that the IRS may have deposited to an account you don’t recognize.

Whether you’re waiting for your payment, or even if it’s already arrived, keep alert for scammers trying to steal your personal information, your money, or both. Remember, the IRS will not call, text you, email you, or contact you on social media asking for personal or bank account information – even related to the stimulus payments. Also, watch out for emails and texts with attachments or links claiming to have special information about the payments. They’re fake, and they may be phishing for your personal information or might download malware to your computer, tablet, or phone.

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Slammedzx3
March 17, 2021
Ex wife got into my account with the irs before the first stimulus hit and changed my bank account info to hers. What can I do about this. I never got any of my stimulus or the 1400 issues today. If she keeps using my social will she get into trouble?
Nicole
March 18, 2021
I don't recognize the account it says my stimulus was deposited in. I also did not have some random way to get it. It has been my same bank account for as long as I can remember, including getting my refund for 2019 and the other 2 stimulus payments. What do I do? What if they send my tax refund to that account that doesn't belong to me too?
A. Cassity
March 18, 2021
My ex husband stole my 3rd stimulus check. He was also supposed to give me 1/2 of our son's stimulus. He kept both of them. What should I do? When I asked, he said that he will not give me any of the money.
Colleen
March 19, 2021
My question is I file my son on my taxes every year it gets direct deposit into my account I added my ex boyfriend when we were together and he won't sign off my account so I was reading the person who files their child is to get the money and that the parents should split it well my son's father went to the bank and withdraw his money and my son's money wouldn't that be undermining since I file him on my taxes and apparently he opened a whole new account what can I do because now I'm being kicked out
Copper#1
March 19, 2021
My adopted brother he's 25 years old he has cerebral palsy and he did not get none of his checks they told him that somebody had claimed him as a dependent on the $1,200 check he did not receive the 600 or the 1400 need to find out who stole his identity and how to report it at so he can get reimbursed for his checks that he deserves
Star 06
March 20, 2021
My husband I've been back and forth with for 33 years, claims head of household we filled joint married. But sometimes he's in one state I'm in anthor. We have stayed married because we have a sick child incomon. This year he came to my location we filled joint married and when money was becoming available he took allot of it if, not most of it and took off with a girlfriend and she has since helped him get the stimulus and use my identity to take the payments. Am I a sucker or what? And now he refuses to speak to me. give me any information or anything! I called e mailed and thank God now saw this. He left me penny less on my bills my house payment health insurance everything and he has the check going to his new girlfriends address the one who helped him scam me and the irs. I hope I can fix this I'm loosing everything.
Petey45
March 20, 2021
My kids father keeps getting stimulus for my 2 kids and i have them 100 percent of the time. How do i get it back?
Don't use your…
March 20, 2021
I will like to report that's someone use my name for EDD And Stimulus check
Leedster
March 25, 2021
Somebody stole my stimulus and when I check in online and it says they got sent to some bank account but I have no clue who's it is what do I do
Anita Aaron
March 26, 2021
I reported to the IRS about someone fraudulently using my Social Security number to file income tax. This did not show up on my overall income for the year which was correct. Will this hindering me getting my stimulus payment?
KGunterFL
March 26, 2021
I have been separated for a year and two months she kept my 1400.00 stimulus check how do I get it.
Mia
March 30, 2021
My mom used my stimulus can she get in trouble for that cuz I needed that money I’ve freshly moved out and my mom won’t even give me my birth certificate so I can get a job or my social so financially Im really struggling because of her so can I get her in trouble for using my stimulus
CyberBug
March 30, 2021
My ex claimed our kids to get the stimulus even tho I have custody and I can't recieve stimulus money for them. What can I do?
Uso81
April 01, 2021
I'm still waiting for all my 4 payments I just got my visa debit credit card in the mail I check had only four dollars
What right
April 02, 2021
Hi i filed a 3911 EIP1 back in oct 9 2020 because it showed my frist payment was mailed. And here it is still not heard anything i got the 2rd check. And on march 28 i found out this guy stole the check and cashed it. Now what i need to do
suzi
April 09, 2021
rec'd the USPS delivery digest on 4/5/21 stating that our check would be in that day's mail. never arrived. today is the 9th. still no check. we were told that the scanned photo of the incoming mail is the last thing to happen to that mail before it leaves the facility (which for us is about 45 miles away). we rec'd all of the other mail for which we had scanned photos. not sure what happened to the check but it's pretty obvious that the check was the stimulus - complete with 'pay to the order of' showing thru the windowed envelope. we'll give it until Monday, then we're going to file a tracking complaint.
Marlo4492
April 16, 2021
I can not get any answers to where my stimulus is ..I can not get any info that is correct...irs page states it was put into a account on March 17...no change in a month .I am choosing between rent and food at this point and need some answers.
HackersAreLossers
April 21, 2021
I was a recent victim of identify theft, someone used my SS# to fraudulently file a federal return. I immediately filed my 2020 taxes by mail after learning this from our tax preparer. I including IRS Form 14039 & also reported the theft to IdentityTheft.gov and filled out the 14039 form there too. When checking the status of the 3rd round of stimulus payments, the payment went into an account that isn't mine (I will assume it's whoever hacked my SS# account) How long does it take for the IRS to get my identify figured out so they can send me a federal refund check & how long does it take to get our 3rd round stimulus money back?
MinionBiden
April 27, 2021
It has been A month now since they claim they mailed my payments. I have not received them in the mail yet. My son who is on SSD has also not received anything. He is an adult now but still lives with Me. No info on the exact issue on their website. From March 26 till, today is a month.
MinionBiden
April 27, 2021
Does it seem comments were shut down?
Capcap
April 29, 2021
What if someone claimed me as a dependent to get my stimulus check and I never lived with them?
Dj
April 29, 2021
My stimulus was not sent to me it was sent to my mom and she refuses to give it to me
Justin bartow
May 04, 2021
Id like to file a fraud that someone cashed both my stimulus checks
aileanneeds#money
May 22, 2021
I received the first and third payment, I did not receive the second check, the first one came to me in the mail, the second one I did not receive and the third one was deposit into my account.
Crystalbangerz…
May 22, 2021
I don't know who to talk to 1400 stimulus check what are my friends got my bank card and took all my money out and she never gave me my money she kept it . I know I want to report her for taking my money
Firebush
June 11, 2021
Someone claimed my dad for the past 3 years and took his stimulus checks. You gotta be pretty shifty to steal from elderly people
Omarb
June 13, 2021
I recieved custody of my kids before the pandemic happened but I have not received any stimulus checks for them. Where do I go to recover that money?
Charlies4848
June 28, 2021
I live in Canada and a U.S. Citizen ,I received my last $1,400.00 Stimulus check through the mail. With-in a couple of days I deposited it at the counter at my credit union and endorse it on the back. With-in a period of about 5 weeks my credit union sent me an e-mail saying that the U.S. Treasury refused my original U.S. Treasury Check that I deposited because it was already processed with an image. I did not do this and my credit union doesn't know who or where this was done and where it was deposited. Can somebody please help.
262 California
June 28, 2021
On irs.gov it stated I would receive the 600$ Stimulus Check in JAN 2021. I waited and checked my Bank acct and my USPS Informed Delivery Daily. The first Stimulus I received by Direct Deposit so I assumed I would receive the 2nd the same. On Jan 14,2021 I saw the envelope from the US Treasury on my USPS Informed Delivery. When I went to my locked mailbox, the envelope was no there. The other mail was. I notified USPS right away. I felt like it was STOLEN even then. To make this short. I have been going back and forth with The IRS, MONEY NETWORK, who issued the Debit card ever since. When I did get the Card, it had a balance of 40$. I could see the withdrawals on the card, not made by me. MONEY NETWORK stand to make withdrawals, the person had my SS#. I'm still fighting for my Stimulus Money and I won't STOP
Crawfordjeff19…
July 12, 2021
Yes someone has hacked in my account try access my irs payments
Don't Sherry u…
July 13, 2021
Never got stimulus refund it was stolen on line and tras feted to another persons account
Owes money
July 24, 2021
Yes did you receive your 4 stimules
Horn
August 05, 2021
ive been calling number to irs i get no help they stold my first 1200 stimulus check
Brad
August 11, 2021
I left my ex girlfriend in October of 2019 and I've been going ever since and she has claimed me on the 2019 taxes and 2020. The IRS told me I was claimed for 2019 and 2020 and I've done filed the 2020 economic recovery rebate covery and filed out the fraud part and told the IRS who I told the IRS that my ex girlfriend was the one who claim me. I sent the return back and the IRS received it on May 3rd 2021 I sent it priority and I haven't heard anything back from them. And I haven't received anything of the stimulus payment. What can do I can't get know one to help me!!! Can someone help me pls!!!!!!
Djudy woodon't…
August 12, 2021
I received only my fist stimulus check. None after that.
paul john spratlin
August 15, 2021
wil i soon reieva a new stimulus check and did the postal service send my last check to the irs?
Beautyrose15
August 19, 2021
Someone I dont know got my stimulus information and switched it on me beings I have been under identity theft for about 8 months.. I never got my 3rd stimulus and I tracked it but went to an account stolen from me what now?! I had no access to the account someone help! I have done all the paperwork through the irs,job and family services and did all my forms and reports!
Zamir
August 22, 2021
Where is my stimulus stolen
Jeremy Huber
August 25, 2021
Somebody has stole my stimulus checks somehow I didn't get none of them
Momopoly88
September 09, 2021
I did all of this twice and never got anywhere with it. I've requested 2 payment traces as well. This is frustrating.