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Watch out for coronavirus scammers: Meng �� TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 17-APRIL 23, 2020 5 BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED Queens residents are being warned of scammers who are seeking to take advantage of consumers during the coronavirus outbreak. According to Congresswoman Grace Meng, the scams include everything from bogus vaccination and home test kits to robocalls offering insurance and work-at-home schemes. “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. Meng is urging all New Yorkers, particularly seniors, immigrant communities and vulnerable populations to be on alert. “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,” Meng said. “The IRS will never contact you asking for any kind of personal information.” 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 agency will in most cases deposit relief payments into the direct deposit account that taxpayers previously provided on their tax returns, according to the IRS. 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. If the IRS does not have a taxpayer’s direct deposit information, a check will be mailed to the address on file. Taxpayers should not provide their direct deposit or other banking information for others to input on their behalf into the secure portal. For retirees (Social Security recipients) who don’t normally have a requirement to file a tax return, no action on their part is needed to receive their payment. The IRS has also provided the following tips to help consumers to be on alert for fraudsters seeking to steal their relief payments. When contacting taxpayers, scammers may: • Emphasize the words “Stimulus Check” or “Stimulus Payment.” The official term is economic impact payment. • Ask the taxpayer to sign over their economic impact payment check to them. • Ask by phone, email, text or social media for verification of personal and/or banking information saying that the information is needed to receive or speed up their economic impact payment. • Suggest that they can get a tax refund or economic impact payment faster by working on the taxpayer’s behalf. This scam could be conducted by social media or even in person. • Lastly, mail the taxpayer a bogus check, perhaps in an odd amount, then tell the taxpayer to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it. 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. The economic impact payments are being made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by the president. Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@ schnepsmedia.com or by phone at (718) 260–4526. Photo via Getty Images ��he new coronavirus has thrown the world into crisis—and this new reality may be frightening for children. It’s important to have an open conversation with them about the outbreak and keep them informed. While many parents’ natural instinct is to protect their kids from scary things, shielding them from coronavirus news is not the answer. To help children process changes and find some normalcy, the best thing to do is to talk to them about what’s going on. NewYork-Presbyterian’s Health Matters offers tips from experts on how talk to kids about the outbreak of the new coronavirus. �� By now, even young children have heard of the new coronavirus (which causes the disease being called COVID-19), either from seeing it on TV, learning about it when their schools were closed, talking to friends, or overhearing parents and other family members’ discussions. The concept of a virus or a pandemic may be difficult for them to grasp, but you can help them understand the topic better by giving them a point of reference they can relate to, such as a virus that may have occurred at their schools or in your family. �� Remember, this is a twoway conversation. Start by asking your kids what they know about the outbreak, then make that your starting point for a meaningful discussion. Encourage your kids to talk about their feelings — it might be hard for them to identify emotions like fear and anxiety — and to ask questions, even if you don’t have answers. It’s important you validate what they want to know and don’t dismiss their concerns. Telling a child ‘not to worry’ likely will not allay their fears. Remind them of other challenges they have faced and overcome in their lives. �� While many adults may have to actively work to stay calm during the outbreak, doing so is the best way to take care of yourself and your family during this uncertain time. Your children will pick up on your words and behavior, which will affect how they react. Try your best to model staying calm and model hand washing and careful hygiene. They will follow your lead. �� With social distancing being encouraged to protect us from the virus, it’s as important as ever to find ways to connect with your kids at home. Activities like movies, jigsaw puzzles, cooking and baking are easy ways to connect as a family when everyone is at home. Virtual Urgent Care from NewYork-Presbyterian provides psychological or health needs without leaving home 7 days a week Download the app today: nyp.org/urgentcare To read more about how to stay healthy amid the outbreak, please visit: NewYork- Presbyterian’s Health Matters blog at https://healthmatters. nyp.org /IRS.gov link link /healthmatters /QNS.COM link /schnepsmedia.com /urgentcare /healthmatters /nyp.org link