The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun to distribute Economic Impact Payments directly to Americans, as authorized in the CARES Act. These payments are intended to help Americans make ends meet during this economic downturn. With so much money being distributed, the IRS has seen a large number of scams associated with these payments. Please be aware that unscrupulous individuals may contact you about your Economic Impact Payment, and/or COVID-19 in general, with phishing attempts, fraudulent calls, bogus letters, emails and text messages.

While the IRS Criminal Investigation Division is diligently working to shut down scammers, it is vital that you remain vigilant to prevent identity theft and other counterfeit tricks. The IRS is not and will not be calling individuals for their personal or financial information so that they can receive their economic impact payment or tax refund faster. Scammers often emphasize the terms “stimulus payment” or “stimulus check” rather than the official term, “Economic Impact Payment”. Scammers may also send bogus checks in the mail and request that you call to verify your confidential information to cash it. Additionally, it is important to verify that any charitable contributions you make go to legitimate charities.

Retirees are specifically being targeted because many older Americans receive Social Security and may not file a tax return. If you are a retiree, including recipients of Forms RRB-1099 and SSA-1099, you do not need to take additional action to receive your economic impact payment. To provide retirees with extra protection, the Department of Justice created an Elder Initiative, which provides support and resources for seniors dealing with scams related to COVID-19. For all other taxpayers, if the IRS does not have your latest banking information on file, you can update it here. If the IRS does not have your direct deposit information, your check will be sent to the address they have on file.

If you encounter a scammer claiming to represent the Treasury Department, please file a complaint by visiting www.ic3.gov so the FBI can stop these scammers in their tracks. If you become trapped in a scam involving federal taxes, please contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. If you receive unsolicited emails or other communications from what appears to be the IRS or organizations connected to the IRS, please forward them to [email protected]. For all other inquiries on reporting online scams and phishing, please click here.

As Wisconsin continues to endure the COVID-19 outbreak, one of my top priorities is to ensure you and your family have the most up-to-date resources available. I have highlighted some recent developments below. You can also find daily updates and information by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

Federal and State Resources:

• To view the spread of COVID-19 throughout Wisconsin, check out the Wisconsin Department of Health’s tracker, which shows Wisconsin's cumulative total and newly reported cases of COVID-19. For all other healthcare inquiries, please call 608-266-1865.
• If you have questions regarding unemployment, contact the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development by calling 608-266-3131.
• If you are a veteran affected by COVID-19, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs is here to help you. They can be reached at 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).
• For small business inquiries, call the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Wisconsin District Office at 414-297-3941 or SBA's disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955.
• For information regarding schools and childcare, please click here. You can also call the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction at 608-266-3390 or 1-800-441-4563 and the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families at 608-422-7000.
• For information related to higher education, you can reach the UW System at 608-262-2321 or WI Technical Colleges at 608-266-1207. 
• If you are a farmer, retailer or restaurant owner please click here for resources from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's (DATCP). You can also call the DATCP Wisconsin Farm Center at 1-800-942-2474, Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128, and General Line at 608-224-5012. 
• To find information on public utilities and internet, call the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) at 1-800-225-7729 or 608-266-2001.
• For DMV online services and other transportation needs, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s website or call 608-264-7447.
• If you have questions regarding filing your taxes or tax returns, please call Wisconsin's Department of Revenue at 608-266-2772.
• For information regarding correctional facilities, please call the Wisconsin Department of Corrections at 608-240-5000.

For Our Communities:
Many blood drives have been canceled due to Wisconsin's Safer at Home order and social distancing. There are, however, still many people in need of blood. Furthermore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Red Cross are partnering to find individuals who have fully recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma to support current COVID-19 patients. From personal experience in the past month, I assure you that donating remains a safe, sanitary process, even during the COVID-19 outbreak. I hope you’ll join me in helping our fellow Wisconsinites in need by donating blood or plasma. Click here to find out where you can donate.

For Individuals:
To provide relief for Americans affected by COVID-19, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) started sending out the economic impact payments that were recently signed into law. Qualifications for direct payments to individuals will be based on your 2019 tax returns if you have filed this year and your 2018 returns if you have not. If you receive Social Security and do not typically file a tax return, you will not have to change anything in order to receive these direct payments. Click here to see if you qualify, if the IRS needs more information from you and the status of your check.

Lastly, if you or a Wisconsinite you know has immediate needs related to COVID-19, you can text COVID-19 to 211-211, call 2-1-1 or visit www.211Wisconsin.org.

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and it is important that we continue to support these businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. We can support our neighborhood businesses by ordering food from local restaurants via takeout, curbside pick up or delivery service and shopping online or buying gift cards from local retail stores to use in the future. No matter what means you choose, I hope you’ll join me in supporting our Sixth District community!