It’s been more than a year since Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. That bill funded several programs to help people make ends meet during the pandemic.

In the year since the bill passed, scammers have been taking advantage of it.

According to the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division, the agency investigated more than 350 tax and money laundering cases nationwide, totaling $440 million. Most of the investigations focused on fraudulently obtained loans, credits and payments.

“IRS Criminal Investigation’s mission is to support our nation’s tax system, which in turn helps support the priorities outlined in the CARES Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui from the IRS’s Denver Field Office. “Our special agents will use their financial expertise to investigate and recommend for prosecution those who attempt to defraud the CARES Act programs that were established to help taxpayers in need.”

To report a suspected crime, visit www.IRS.gov or contact the Denver Field Office at DenverFieldOffice@ci.irs.gov.

I also wanted to remind you about some ways to find a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Now that every Coloradan aged 16 and up is eligible, some people are having trouble scheduling their shot.

The state health department has a vaccine hotline that’s open 24/7. Call 1-877-268-2926 for more information. You can also call 2-1-1 or text “vaccine” to 667873.

Remember, there’s a permanent vaccination site at the Broadmoor World Arena. The drive-thru clinic is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Monday. To sign up for an appointment, call 720-263-5737 or visit www.centura.org/vaccine.

There’s also a website created by a Colorado man that compiles open appointments at pharmacies across the country. Visit www.vaccinespotter.org/CO/ to find open appointments in Colorado.

This week, I also wanted to tell you about another nonprofit that’s been hit by thieves. Last month, I told you how criminals had stolen seven catalytic converters from Silver Key Senior Service’s shuttle buses. The converters control emissions, and the crooks are after the metal inside.

After that story aired, Fountain Valley Senior Center reached out to me and said they’ve been having the same problem. Executive Director Jolene Hausman told me crooks cut four of their shuttles’ gas lines at the beginning of the pandemic. Last month, two catalytic converters were stolen.

While the senior center itself is closed because of the pandemic, volunteers have still been driving shuttles to take seniors to appointments — especially for vaccines.

“During these COVID times, it impacts us even more greatly because we’re under ‘Safer to Ride’ guidelines, so we can only have one to two passengers maximum per vehicle,” Hausman said. “So we’re currently running more vehicles with less passengers, and every time one gets taken out of the rotation that could potentially be doctor’s appointments and COVID vaccine shots that have to get canceled.”

As of now, the Fountain Police Department doesn’t have any suspects in this case. If you know anything about who’s responsible, call Fountain PD at (719) 382-8555.

If you’d like to make a donation to Fountain Valley Senior Center to help the nonprofit recoup repair costs, visit www.fvscenter.org.