Watch Out For Economic Stimulus Scams!

Alright, now I need to get tough and say it straight with people. STOP FALLING FOR THESE IDIOTIC SCAMS. The news is littered with the fact that the government is NOT giving us an economic stimulus check, so why would you believe anything to the contrary?

The Scams

Currently, there are two making their way around the internet. The first involves identity thieves posing as the IRS and sending out spam e-mails promising an economic stimulus check. All the person has to do is download the attached form, fill it out, and send it back to the IRS to receive the check. The trouble is, the form is an identity theft tool that steals the personal information entered into it. And the address isn’t to the IRS.

The second scam involves being promised more information about obtaining “economic stimulus grants.” The bait on this scam is fake user testimonials such as, “I found the grant I needed and filled out the forms and sent them in, and in about two weeks I received a check in my hands for $100,000.” The link they send leads to a marketing-style site in which you enter personal details like salary range, email address, mailing address, and date of birth in order to be sent the “free” CD that will give you all the secrets to getting economic stimulus grants. At the end of the transaction, the site asks for credit card information for the shipping and handling of the CD. Trouble is, you never get the CD; however, you’ve now given them enough information to steal your identity.

Why Are People Falling For These Scams?

That’s a very good question, and one I had to ask the last person that came into the credit union bemoaning the fact that she had her identity stolen. Her response to me was that it seemed legitimate, yet as I read the email, all of the classic tell-tale signs were there. It had poor grammar and spelling in certain sections, the site that it directed you to was unsecured, and frankly, the belief that the government would send this woman (with no kids) a check for $5,000 as a stimulus check was ridiculous.

But these people keep falling for it. Something in their mind ignores the warning signs in the hope that just this once, it may be true. Just this once, they’ll get something for nothing. Sorry guys, life doesn’t work that way. We’re not getting economic stimulus checks this year and that has been made abundantly clear. What we are getting is a little extra money in our paycheck and a whole lot of debt as a nation. Don’t add to it by falling for the nonsense.

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