With the rise of technology aimed at making our lives easier comes an unfortunate downfall — scams. Credit cards, online banking, and shopping are all vulnerable to crime. With stimulus checks arriving across the United States, hackers are ramping up their efforts like never before. IBM released a report finding a 6,000 percent increase in spam emails related to COVID-19 since early March. Here is how to keep yourself safe from stimulus check scams.

The most important thing to remember about your stimulus check is that you should not be contacted about it. The IRS works off information provided by your yearly tax returns. If you have not filed for 2019, they will use information from 2018. If you need to make changes or have questions, the IRS has a comprehensive page answering many common questions.

Payment Scams

There are stimulus check scams designed to trick you out of money. Here are a few to watch out for:

• The IRS paid you "too much" and needs you to send money back.
• The IRS requires you to pay a fee before releasing your funds.
• The IRS needs you to send all your banking information.

Email Scams

Look closely at any suspicious email — there are easy ways to identify a scam:

• Spelling errors throughout the message.
• Incorrect or odd punctuation, like excessive exclamation marks.
• Mistakenly capitalized letters — for example, "The IRS iS contacting you about Your stimulus checK."
• Your inbox flagging the message as potential spam when you open it.
• A logo that looks off or slightly wrong.

Fake IRS Calls

The IRS never calls — this makes phone scams easy to spot, since any call claiming to be the IRS is fake. Common examples include:

• A computer-automated message claiming to be from the IRS.
• A caller claiming your social security number has been compromised.

Use your best judgment and don't be afraid to do some research before sharing anything personal. Scammers use urgency to scare people into making snap decisions, preying on fear and emotion during an already stressful time. They will push every button they can to make you act irrationally. Remind yourself to take the extra time to thoroughly verify any situation before releasing personal details. Stay vigilant against stimulus check scams.