GREENSBORO -- There's $5 million statewide in economic stimulus money that taxpayers haven't claimed yet. And now the IRS is warning scammers are trying to get some of that money.

According to IRS spokesperson Mark Hanson, scammers are sending e-mails to people informing them of unclaimed money and asking for personal information to retrieve it. The e-mails, which look like official IRS correspondence, ask for social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers and other information that can be used to commit identity theft.

“Scam activity has picked up because the scam artists have realized it's time to strike when the iron is hot,” Hanson said. “There's a deadline looming. They're hoping they can catch some unsuspecting people into compromising their personal information.”

Pauline Morrison, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central North Carolina, said she's seen many scams like these. But she emphasized that it's up to the consumer to be watchful.

“If they are really the IRS, they are not going to call you for that kind of information. They already have it and that's the case in so many other areas,” Morrison said.

Officials at the Better Business Bureau said when the economy takes a downturn, they see a sharp increase in people trying to scam.

“[People are] being bombarded from many different areas for their money and for their identity, so they need to be alert and give some thought,” Morrison said.

Hanson said one of the easiest ways to avoid the scam is to make sure the IRS has correct personal information.

The deadline to collect stimulus payments is Nov. 28. For more information on the status of rebate checks, call 1-866-234-2942.