[fyrffytr1]

I received my letter today saying that my stimulus check has been direct deposited into my account. The only problem is I don't recognize the account and I have never used direct deposit.
Too add to this, I haven't received my federal tax refund either.
I have been to the IRS website to check on both. The stimulus site says it was scheduled to be directly deposited into my account ending in 2615 on April 13th. I don't have an account ending in 2615 and never have.
When I filled out the online form to check m,y refund it came back saying "no information available". I filed a paper return on the 2nd of April. My tax preparer tried to file an electronic return two weeks ago but it was rejected because there was already a return on file.
There is no way that I know of to contact The IRS at this time. That is according to their website.
Any ideas on what to do?

[Simple Man]

Sounds like a scam to me. YMMV

[Stuart]

A few years ago someone filed a return under my name. I don't know how they got my information, but I got it straightened out with the IRS and since then they send me a code number I have to include on my return to show it's really from me. I'm guessing something similar may have happened to you.

The IRS does have a number you can call with questions: 1-800-829-1040
https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance

[johnta1]

I think possibly you have been hacked?
(if the letter is actually from the IRS)

The IRS Economic Payment web site
This you can check your status for economic payment status I believe.
The IRS should have a page on checking if your income tax has been submitted also.
Probably has a page on if it has been hacked also?

IRS.gov is the main web url. If it isn't there that you go to, probably not a good idea to send any info to that place.

With you being so late to file, probably a scammer has 'submitted' a submission using their info. And hoping to get your economic check also.
Which hopefully they did not.

Just saw post by stuart. I'd call.

[1965gp]

Most likely identity theft.

I had someone file for unemployment in my name! My boss was like ‘is there something you want to tell me??’

We reported it as fraudulent but I’m really glad I don’t plan on buying anything big soon....

[poncho-mike]

I always file by mail and have a paper check sent to me. After the stimulus was announced, I found that I could go into the IRS website and update the account information to get the stimulus checks wired directly to my account. I set up direct deposit, and received my stimulus checks a few weeks later. If my memory is correct, I had to know the exact information of my last tax return in order to change the account information.

If somebody filed a tax return in your name, they could fill in the account number with their number. It happened to a friend, and took six months or more to get straightened out.

[Neil E]

Identity theft for sure. It was pretty common a few years ago, but the IRS has implemented safeguards that have cut down on it. Someone gets your info and files a tax return with phony documents claiming a large refund early in tax season before the IRS has the documents to verify the amount of withholding. The IRS has no way to verify it is actually your bank account. Here is a link to the IRS website with More information

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/taxpaye...identity-theft

You need to complete form 14039. Unfortunately it will be a real headache to straighten it out, especially since the IRS is working with limited staff due to the Corona Virus.

[TAKerry]

Boy that really stinks, hope you can get it resolved easily enough.

[poncho-mike]

The IRS doesn't take any safeguards until after your identity has been stolen.

My wife and I locked out credit several years ago. Early this year or last year, we started getting credit card rejection letters from companies that we don't do business with (ex, Mayfair). One company told me the person trying to open an account had my wife's social security number, birth date, and other information. They checked credit and found it was locked, and sent the rejection letter to the address on record with the credit bureau.

I called the IRS and told them somebody was trying to steal my wife's identity, and asked them to assign us a PIN code so they couldn't file a tax return in her name. The IRS said they wouldn't do that until there was a case of identity theft. By then, it's too late.

Mike

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by fyrffytr1

I received my letter today saying that my stimulus check has been direct deposited into my account. The only problem is I don't recognize the account and I have never used direct deposit.
Too add to this, I haven't received my federal tax refund either.
I have been to the IRS website to check on both. The stimulus site says it was scheduled to be directly deposited into my account ending in 2615 on April 13th. I don't have an account ending in 2615 and never have.
When I filled out the online form to check m,y refund it came back saying "no information available". I filed a paper return on the 2nd of April. My tax preparer tried to file an electronic return two weeks ago but it was rejected because there was already a return on file.
There is no way that I know of to contact The IRS at this time. That is according to their website.
Any ideas on what to do?

We never do banking on line and do not do auto deposit. We finally got our stimulus money last week, but they’re not doing checks anymore, they’re sending debit cards. If you’re married both names will be on one card. We don’t do debit either, and can’t get inside the bank to either cash the card in and deposit it ourselves, or open an account just for that.

[burd]

Call your tax person, that’s what I did, that’s why I pay him. Too much can go wrong.

[David Jones]

My Mom got her check a few weeks ago and then a nice letter signed by President not long after that.

Mom passed away on March 31st this year.

I figured returning it would be like herding cats but the website had an address to send it to.

[fyrffytr1]

I read, on the IRS website, that if you didn't recognize the bank account number it could be because it's an old account that may have been closed. If so, the bank is required to return the money and then a paper check will be sent through the mail. Also read that I should wait for 12 weeks before contacting the IRS about my federal return as they are way behind on processing. So, maybe they have my return on record but haven't processed it yet.

[fyrffytr1]

Originally Posted by Stuart

A few years ago someone filed a return under my name. I don't know how they got my information, but I got it straightened out with the IRS and since then they send me a code number I have to include on my return to show it's really from me. I'm guessing something similar may have happened to you.

The IRS does have a number you can call with questions: 1-800-829-1040
https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance

Tried calling the number and got recorded messages. After following all the instructions I got the same answer as when I went to the IRS site "Wheres my refund" No information provided was the answer. Hopefully that means it hasn't been processed yet. If it had Wouldn't I get a message saying a refund had been issued? Even if it was not to me?

[johnta1]

True, I'd think.
Hoping for the best. Possibly just waaayyyy behind on everything.

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

We never do banking on line and do not do auto deposit. We finally got our stimulus money last week, but they’re not doing checks anymore, they’re sending debit cards. If you’re married both names will be on one card. We don’t do debit either, and can’t get inside the bank to either cash the card in and deposit it ourselves, or open an account just for that.

We received ours about a week ago It was a check.

[Stuart]

I found this online - if you're still waiting, make sure you check your mail carefully.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service began sending out Economic Impact Payments as prepaid debit cards last week. So almost 4 million Americans still waiting for their cut of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act can expect to get their stimulus money in the form of an EIP Card, as opposed to a paper check.

Problem is, these Visa cards are being issued by MetaBank (the Treasury’s financial agent) and delivered in plain envelopes from Money Network Cardholder Services — neither of which is a familiar name for most of us. So reports of people mistaking these for preapproved credit-card junk mail, or even a scam, have been popping up across the country. And, in some cases, people have even thrown away the debit cards containing their long-awaited stimulus money before they realized their mistake.

[TAKerry]

Originally Posted by Stuart

I found this online - if you're still waiting, make sure you check your mail carefully.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service began sending out Economic Impact Payments as prepaid debit cards last week. So almost 4 million Americans still waiting for their cut of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act can expect to get their stimulus money in the form of an EIP Card, as opposed to a paper check.

Problem is, these Visa cards are being issued by MetaBank (the Treasury’s financial agent) and delivered in plain envelopes from Money Network Cardholder Services — neither of which is a familiar name for most of us. So reports of people mistaking these for preapproved credit-card junk mail, or even a scam, have been popping up across the country. And, in some cases, people have even thrown away the debit cards containing their long-awaited stimulus money before they realized their mistake.

ME. I was going trough the mail and exactly what is said above. I felt a card in a plain envelope. I get this kind of stuff quite often and they go right in the trash. I started to chuck it, but decided to give a quick look, just in case it may be a membership card or something.

[fyrffytr1]

According to the IRS website my stimulus money was direct deposited into an account ending in 2615 on April 13th. I don't have an account ending in 2615. If the account was closed the bank is supposed to return the money to the IRS who will then issue a check or a debit card now that they have started doing just that. There is no contact number that I can call and talk to a CSR at this time. So, I can only wait and hope.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Did you file a tax return in 2018 ?
It should have went to the same destination/method as your 2018 refund.
So maybe the IRS data glitched and entered the wrong info for you.

Also try googling the full account number and see if others have reported the same account number being used.
That would get pretty wild.

If by accident on the IRS end - and the account number and routing number is still someones active account, they probably would not report it, and hope to keep it.