Beware of Stimulus Check Scam

NORTH ADAMS — As the first round of the economic stimulus checks start flooding into mailboxes and bank accounts across the country, local agencies — and the Internal Revenue Service — are warning consumers about online scams that ask for personal information to ensure the safe receipt of the money.

E-mails coming from senders who claim to be the IRS request that those wishing to receive their economic stimulus refund fill out a form so the check can be deposited.

"The scam is trying to get personal and/or financial institution account information for identity theft purposes. The IRS and financial institutions will never call or e-mail an individual for personal or financial account information," said Gwen Boillat, the assistant vice president and security officer at Greylock Federal Credit Union.

Many of the e-mails look authentic and even have an IRS banner and copyright information on them.

"Many of these scams involve official-looking e-mails that try to lure recipients into providing data at fake 'IRS' Web sites to get a rebate," said Boillat. "People also are receiving phone calls telling them that they can receive a tax rebate only if they provide bank account information for a direct deposit."

"Taxpayers do not have to fill out a separate form to get a stimulus payment or have it directly deposited; all they had to do was file a tax return and provide direct deposit information on the return," the IRS site states.

Boillat said taxpayers who filed by April 15 through direct deposit will receive their checks the same way and the deposit to the account can be identified as "Tax Refund" issued from Treasury 220. Paper checks will have "2008 Economic Stimulus Payment" written on them.

Anyone who has received a questionable e-mail can forward it to a mailbox the IRS has established to investigate suspicious e-mails: phishing@irs.gov.

According to Boillat, individuals with at least $3,000 in qualifying income may qualify for an economic stimulus payment of $300 ($600 for married couples) plus the $300 per qualifying child payment. However, they must file a 2007 income tax return by Oct. 15, 2008, to receive a stimulus payment.

The tax rebates are a result of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 that was passed by Congress in February in an effort to boost the struggling economy and avoid a recession through the encouragement of consumer spending.

Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Honors Leaders, Volunteers

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
09:07AM / Sunday, May 24, 2026

Liana Toscanini presented the Founder's Choice Award to Smitty Pignatelli for his years of support as state representative. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires held its ninth annual nonprofit awards last week honoring the contributions of those who have helped the community in their own way.

 

The gathering at the Country Club in Pittsfield on Tuesday included the introduction of new nonprofit Executive Director Samantha Anderson, who steps in for retiring founder and director Liana Toscanini. State Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, John Barrett III and Leigh Davis attended the event.

 

Toscanini, who created NPC in 2016, was honored at the conclusion of the evening to mark her decade leading the organization. 

 

"Founders don't just lead organizations, they are the organization in the deepest sense," said NPC Board President Emily Schiavoni. "Their relationships, their instincts, their fingerprints are on everything, and when someone has poured a decade of herself into building something from the ground up, the act of stepping back is not a simple handoff, it's an act of extraordinary trust and courage that brings me to what Leanna actually built." 

 

NPC became something of a chamber of commerce for nonprofits under Toscanini's guidance, creating a hub of support for leadership and networking for the small and large nonprofits that fuel much of the activity within the Berkshires. 

 

She developed more than two dozen programs, including Get on Board, which helps connect community members with nonprofit boards, and a giving-back guide, volunteer fairs, and a resource directory.

 

Schiavoni described Toscanini as a great mentor who has had a big impact in strengthening local nonprofits.