New York inflation refund check scams seek personal information, state officials warn
Gov. Kathy Hochul chairs the annual meeting of the state Financial Control Board at the governor's office in Manhattan on Aug. 13. Credit: Sipa USA / Lev Radin
New Yorkers eager to cash their inflation refund check should be aware of scams demanding their payment information to receive the state payout of up to $400, state officials said Sunday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents on Sunday that scammers are sending mail, emails and other communications claiming that taxpayers need to provide their financial details to receive the checks scheduled to be sent to roughly 8 million households this fall.
That is false, officials said. New Yorkers eligible for the payout, which includes 1.25 million Long Island recipients, need not take any action to receive the checks being sent through the mail, according to a statement Sunday from the governor’s office.
Furthermore, the officials noted that the New York State Tax Department and Finance doesn’t seek personal information via email or text. If residents receive a fraudulent message, they should delete the communication, report the incident to the state Tax Department or IRS, and block the person who sent the information, officials said.
“New Yorkers do not have to do anything to receive an inflation refund check outside of meeting the eligibility requirements,” Hochul said in the statement. “With scams targeting the state’s inflation refund initiative, let me be clear: The Tax Department and the IRS do not call or text individuals for personal information.”
The checks are the result of the state generating more revenue from sales tax because inflation led people to buy items at higher costs, officials said. In turn, the Hochul administration is using that funding to issue the rebate checks.
To get the check, residents must have filed a tax return for the 2023 tax year. They could not be listed as dependents on a different return, officials said.
The rebate is adjusted by income, with joint filers earning $150,000 or less receiving $400, officials said. Joint filers earning above $150,000 but not over $300,000 can collect a $300 payout.
Single filers who earn no more than $75,000 will receive a $200 payment, while those who make more than that threshold but under $150,000 are due a $150 payment, officials said.
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.
