You are reading

Meng Tells Constituents to be on the Lookout for Scams

Rep. Grace Meng (Photo: Twitter)

April 9, 2020 By Christian Murray

Congresswoman Grace Meng is warning Queens residents to be aware of scammers who are seeking to take advantage of consumers during the coronavirus outbreak.

The scams include everything from bogus vaccination and home test kits to robocalls offering insurance and work-at-home schemes, she said.

Among the most noted scams to be on the lookout for are those in which criminals attempt to steal people’s COVID-19 relief payments, the funds consisting of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is in the process of sending out to taxpayers.

The COVID-19 relief payments will in most cases be deposited into the account that taxpayers previously provided on their tax returns. However, taxpayers who have previously filed but did not provide direct deposit information to the IRS will be able to provide their banking information online to a newly designed secure portal on IRS.gov in mid-April.

Meng said that people must make sure not to be tricked into provide their direct deposit or other banking information for others to input on their behalf into the secure portal.

“It is unconscionable that in the middle of a public health crisis, there are those who prey on unsuspecting individuals, and attempt to steal the money they need during this pandemic,” Meng said.

“If you receive a call regarding your economic impact payment, hang-up. If you receive an email or text, do not reply, and do not click on attachments and links. Report it to law enforcement and the IRS. The IRS will never contact you asking for any kind of personal information.”

Those who receive unsolicited emails, text messages or social media attempts to gather information that appear to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Rego Park sex offender pleads guilty to charges of sexually exploiting young girls on Long Island: Feds

A convicted sex offender from Rego Park pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and admitted to soliciting and receiving sexually explicit images and videos from four young girls during a plea hearing in the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Friday. Anthony Pangallo, 41, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and up to 50 years in prison.

According to court filings and statements during the plea proceeding, Pangallo was initially arrested on May 20, 2021, at his Rego Park residence, on state charges filed in Westport, Connecticut. Those charges, which remain pending, involved a 15-year-old victim whom Pangallo met online and manipulated into sending him sexually explicit images of herself.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.