The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is issuing a warning that, as usual, scammers are already taking advantage of the coronavirus stimulus checks being sent to Americans. The BBB says it’s getting reports of con artists claiming that you need to either pay for your stimulus check or provide personal information to receive it.
There are several versions of this con. BBB Scam Tracker has received reports from people contacted through text message, email, and phone calls about the new COVID-19 stimulus checks.
The Bureau says to watch out for email or text messages instructing you to click a link to "request benefit payments." They say that’s a way scammers phish for personal details and open you up to risk of identity theft. They also say to watch out for suspicious phone calls, where the scammer pretends to be calling from a government agency.