You do not need someone to go pick up your stimulus package
It never ceases to amaze me. We send food aid to Somalia or Gaza and the delivery is picked up by terrorists, criminals or black marketers. President Obama sends a stimulus package to the American people and the delivery is picked up by terrorists, criminals or black marketers.
Beware of the web
Unscrupulous businesses are already flooding the internet with ads claiming you can get thousands of dollars in stimulus cash. There are websites offering to help you qualify for stimulus money or suggest they can get you an inside fast track to a stimulus check. Still others see the stimulus package as the latest in marketing tools, using the draw of stimulus cash as a way to get you to buy a debt-reduction plan or other financial services you probably don’t need.
As far as I can make out, the best stimulus package going around today is a Personal Loan from the Personal Money Store.
The email scamsters are here
The ever-present band of criminals is hanging around like a flock of vultures, saliva dripping at the thought of all this money. They are intent on using the lure of free government cash as a way to worm their way into your financial accounts and steal your money. Don’t be surprised if you get an email from a “government agency” asking you for bank account info so that your share of the stimulus funds can be conveniently deposited into your account.
Don’t give out your bank account numbers!!
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a press release warning consumers specifically about scams tied to the stimulus package. Better Business Bureaus in several parts of the country have also warned about these kinds of come-ons, as have the attorney general offices in several states.
You will get it all by yourself
If you are in line for a stimulus package, you do not need a middleman to get you whatever you may have coming to you. Here’s an example: If you qualify for the $400 ($800 married couples) Make Work Pay credit, you will most likely get that money by having less withheld from your weekly, biweekly or monthly paycheck. Otherwise, you would claim it as a credit on your tax return. You do not have to apply for it.
Don’t pay someone to get you money
No one else and no service that you pay is going to get you any more than the credit allows, nor will any person or service get you the money any sooner except, of course, if they offer to lend you the money upfront, in which case, make sure it’s a legitimate company.
But how do I get Social Security money?
The same applies to the $250 checks to Social Security recipients. These will be sent out by the government. You don’t need to apply for the funds. Anyone who tells you that you must apply is either trying to sell you a service you don’t need or otherwise trying to get their hands on your money.
First time home buyer and new car credits
The first-time homebuyer’s $8,000 tax credit, the new sales deduction for new car buyers and other goodies all operate in the same way.
Unemployment, Cobra
Check with your local unemployment office to see what you’re entitled to by way of expanded unemployment benefits. And check if you qualify for subsidies for Cobra coverage for the jobless; contact your former employer or check out the Department of Labor’s site on extended Cobra assistance, which includes a toll-free number for contacting a benefits adviser.
Ignore websites, usually with photos of President Obama, that say stimulus cash is yours for the asking. They are scams.
There was always going to be some sort of scam regarding stimulus money. Or at least, scams involving your average citizen getting preyed upon thinking they could get more stimulus money. Obviously there have been some HUGE stimulus scams involving AIG and Citigroup. I wonder just who the scamsters work for?
Thanks for sharing. These are definitely things to keep a good watch on. It’s amazing how many scams are out there and how easily people can fall victims to scam artists.
My sister recently received a letter in the mail stating that she had been selected to become a secret shopper. The letter was professionally written and they had all their contact information on it as well. She even called the toll-free number that was listed and from what it sounded like, they were pretty legit.
Along with a few other tasks she was instructed to do, she was told she had to transfer $3,000 through Western Union to see how well the company conduct their services. So she did as she was told and now she’s in huge trouble.
They never did deposit the funds they promised and she was left with an empty bank account. It was then clear she had been scammed. Her bank can’t do anything about it until they hear back from authorities. It’s a total mess.
Buyer beware!