Scams spring up promising stimulus
Have you seen ads saying you can get a huge stimulus check this year? Three words: scam, scam, scam
If you spend a lot of time on the Internet, you have probably seen the ads promising you can “get your $12,000 stimulus check!” Many even feature a picture of Barack Obama.
The Federal Trade Commission has a message for anyone who has thought of clicking on those ads: It’s a scam.
Con artists seize opportunity
Even before the economic stimulus package was signed, con artists began cooking up schemes for how they could profit from it. Most of these scams operate by promising you can get a big, fat check from the government if you spend a few dollars to get information on how to do it.
Bogus web sites
If a web site asks you for your credit card number or other personal information in exchange for instructions on how to get money from the stimulus package, ignore it. The economic stimulus package does not include cash advances that go directly to individuals.
“President Obama is not endorsing websites that ask you to send $1.99 or $3.99 to get information about how you can get part of the stimulus pie. Not happening,”Eileen Harrington, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
What to do if you’ve already been scammed
These fraudulent operations have already been running for weeks. If you have already given out information to a website that fits this description, it’s not too late to avoid more consequences. If you’ve already been conned:
File a complaint or get free information on consumer issues at ftc.gov/complaint or call 877-FTC-Help (877-382-4357)
Help catch fraudsters
If you have gotten emails from people saying they are from the IRS and asking for your personal information, forward it to phishing@irs.gov. Delete the e-mail without opening attachments or clicking on links.
Don’t be a victim
The FTC advises that you don’t open attachments or click on links that promise information about how to get a government stimulus check. It could make you vulnerable to identity theft. Do not use your credit card to pay fees for information about accessing government grants.
To read more about stimulus scams, check out these stories from ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=7004693&page=2
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PCWorld/story?id=6993895
Scam artists abound – although the irony of mentioning a scam in the same space as the IRS is not lost. The internet has made it far easier for snake oil salesmen and con artists…I wonder if the people that run these websites used to work for Enron?