As the Coronavirus takes a growing toll on people’s pocketbooks, there are reports that the government will soon be sending money by check or direct deposit to each of us. The details are still being worked out, but there are a few really important things to know, no matter what this looks like.
1. The government will not ask you to pay anything up front to get this money. No fees. No charges. No nothing.
2. The government will not call to ask for your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number. Anyone who does is a scammer.
3. These reports of checks aren’t yet a reality. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.
Look, normally we’d wait to know what the payment plan looks like before we put out a message like this. But these aren’t normal times. And we predict that the scammers are gearing up to take advantage of this.
So, remember: no matter what this payment winds up being, only scammers will ask you to pay to get it. If you spot one of these scams, please tell the Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov/complaint. We’re doing our best to stop these scammers in their tracks, and your report will help.
Keep up to date with the latest Coronavirus-related scams at www.ftc.gov/coronavirus or by signing up to get these consumer alerts.
Watch these videos for more tips on how to avoid ecomonic impact payment scams:
Updated link added on April 21, 2020.
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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
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In reply to I have not made enough money by nerinnola
In reply to How do u know if u get it by Don't use your…
In reply to I worked all my life till by RIsteve
In reply to Get these people an email by Realist
You can find out how to change your address yourself, by typing "change address post office" into the bar of your preferreed search engine.
One of the search results is a government source: USA.gov.
www.USA.gov/Moving has information about how to change your address with the US Postal service.
In reply to You can find out how to by FTC Staff
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In reply to Will homeless people get a by Firefighter
As of today, there are no confirmed details about any stimulus money. Watch for updates from trusted news sources to find the latest.
In reply to Will homeless people get a by Firefighter
In reply to Will homeless people get a by Firefighter
In reply to I am on disability, I do not by Deborah Kearney
In reply to Yes people on disability get by Equality 2020
In reply to I see the government is going by cookster
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In reply to As of today it looks like by An extremely m…
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In reply to What if my address is by questioner
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In reply to Will people on disability by Jystme46
As of today, there are no confirmed details about any stimulus money. Watch for updates from trusted news sources to find the latest.
Pagination