Fraud Warnings On The Rise With 2nd Round of Stimulus Checks Going Out

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about the increase in fraudulent scams going around with the second launch of stimulus checks going out to Americans recently.

Many people are getting $600 or more, some families thousands of dollars, and criminals are on the lookout for ways to get that money or use the opportunity to get other information. Some have been telling individuals that they need to provide certain personal information before they can get their stimulus check for ex, which the BBB has warned people about.

They are already getting multiple reports of people trying to contact check recipients through e-mails and text messages.

People are being advised against responding to those messages. There are supposed to be no processing fees that are involved with getting the stimulus check, so if someone calls saying that you need to pay a deposit first in order to access the money, experts say this is a scam attempt.

Aside from the BBB, the FTC and various other authorities have also issued warning about check scams on the rise. In response to this issue, the FTC released a few recommendations, saying:

1. The government won't ask you to pay anything up front to get this money. Anyone who does is a scammer.
2. The government won't call, text, email, or contact you on social media to ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number.
3. There's no such thing as getting your money early, or faster. Anyone who says they can hook you up now (or soon) is both lying and a scammer.

A number of people have reportedly gotten those text messages already, but they are being warned not to reply.

It has also been suggested that any potential victims, who receive these e-mails or text messages etc, should report it to the government. They want people to be on the lookout for any messages coming through that might ask them to click a link to request benefit payments, because it could be a scam which is seeking to get their personal information.

Another potential issue with the second round of stimulus checks being sent out is a problem with lookalike checks, these might also get sent out, as they have already seen a lot of these scams during the first round of stimulus funds that got sent out. The BBB has cautioned people to do their research when they receive a check, to try and determine if it is a real one, and you can also try to check the status of your payment online through official government resources with the 'Get My Payment' online tool.

Pics:
pixabay