Beware of Stimulus Check Scams
Texas Senior Medicare Patrol • April 9, 2020
Scammers use public health emergencies as opportunities for new fraud schemes. In fact, The Federal Trade Commission has already received complaints about stimulus checks scams.
As you may know, the government is preparing to distribute stimulus checks to help provide relief to households due to the COVID 19 crises.
Things you need to know:
- Individuals with adjusted gross incomes of less than $75,000 should expect to receive $1200 with couples receiving $2400, and $500 per child.
- The rate is adjusted if the gross income is more than $75,000. This will be based on your 2019 tax return, or 2018 if you haven’t filed yet for 2019. Please keep in mind that it is estimated to take weeks for these checks to be distributed.
- Your stimulus check will be directly deposited into your bank account if funds you received from your 2018 tax return were directly deposited. Otherwise your paper check will arrive by mail. Social security beneficiaries will automatically receive a stimulus check via direct deposit. There is no need to complete any tax information. The IRS will automatically use what the Social Security Administration has on file.
- Beware of the following scams:
- Fake Stimulus Checks. There are fake checks circulating right now. It will take at least three weeks for direct deposits to land and up to 10 weeks for paper checks to arrive by mail. If you receive any checks now, it is a fraud. Telltale signs are checks written in odd amounts or include cents, or a check that requires you to verify receipt online or by calling a number.
- Social media, phone calls, or text messages claiming to get in touch with you. Scammers are reaching out to people online on social media platforms or by sending text messages with claims they are from the IRS or other government agency and are trying to get in touch with you regarding your stimulus check. Ignore/Delete these messages. The U.S. Government will never reach out to you via any social media platform or by text.
- Scammers pose as a government agency and will send a link to this website or something similar for you to verify personal information. The government does not do this. The government already has the information they need and will not reach out to you for verification of your social security number or other personal identification.
- Processing Fee. Scammers pose as the IRS or other government agency claiming you can receive your stimulus check faster if you pay a processing fee. There is no such thing and there is no way to speed up the IRS payment process.
- The IRS will never call or email you to verify any personal information. This includes your social security number, bank account number, or anything that allows access to your identity.
- As soon as you receive a call or email saying they are from the IRS or U.S. Treasury, hang up or delete it. These scammers are professional criminals and will use a variety of methods to steal your personal identification and your money.
Texas SMP is ready to provide you with the information you need to PROTECT yourself from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse; DETECT potential fraud, errors, and abuse; and REPORT your concerns.
Your SMP can help with your questions, concerns, or complaints about potential fraud and abuse issues. It also can provide information and educational presentations.
Texas Senior Medicare Patrol 1-888-341-6187.
The Area Agency on Aging of East Texas is partnering with First Christian Church in Jacksonville to offer a free Benefits & Estate Planning Presentation for Seniors and Caregivers. The informative workshop will be held Thursday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at the First Christian Church Sanctuary, 1920 Beaumont Street in Jacksonville. Presented by Paul Zambie, Managing Attorney with Texas Legal Services Center, the session will help attendees better understand legal and planning issues that can affect older adults and their families. Topics will include wills and trusts, deeds, transfer-on-death deeds, long-term care Medicaid, Medicaid estate recovery, and senior services. This free presentation is designed to give seniors and caregivers practical information to help prepare for life’s challenges and make informed decisions about the future. For more information, contact the Area Agency on Aging of East Texas at 903-218-6500 or 1-800-442-8845.
This summer, ETCOG Director of Aging Programs Adrian Cornejo welcomed an extraordinary experience into his home through his volunteer work with Creating Friendships for Peace (CFP). For one month, Adrian hosted two students from Cyprus, Michael and Derin, who came to East Texas through the CFP program. During their stay, the students shared a room in Adrian’s home, experienced daily life in the region, shadowed Adrian at ETCOG, and attended an ETCOG Executive Committee meeting. Creating Friendships for Peace brings young people from communities affected by longstanding divisions together for cultural exchange, dialogue, and relationship-building. Cyprus has been divided for decades between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, with a history of conflict and mistrust that can shape how young people see those from the other side of the island. Adrian said the experience gave him a deeply personal view of how division can affect young people and how meaningful it can be when they have the opportunity to connect outside of those divisions. “What I witnessed through these young men was difficult to process,” Adrian said. “Each of their societies has, in different ways, instilled distrust, division, and even hatred toward people on the ‘other side.’ Perhaps the most heartbreaking part is hearing that this begins when they are children.” Through his involvement with CFP, Adrian also hosted two young men from Israel for a few days, one Jewish Israeli and one Arab Israeli, who similarly came from communities shaped by complex social and political divisions. “This is not a political story,” Adrian said. “It is a personal reflection on what has been one of the most emotional and humbling experiences of my life. Hearing the students’ experiences made me realize just how much we take for granted here in the United States,” he said. “We have the freedom to think, to question, and to decide for ourselves what we believe and how we treat others.” For Michael and Derin, their time in East Texas offered an opportunity to see a different community, to witness regional collaboration in action as our elected officials voted on ETCOG business, and to build friendships beyond the boundaries and assumptions they may encounter at home. “I think words are too little to describe the last four weeks,” said Michael. “This month we became a family. I was talking with Derin, and I told him it feels like we are packing to go to vacation, not home.” “I want to thank Mr. Adrian for hosting us and being part of our destiny in this trip,” said Darin. “You are very hard working and care about us. I am very grateful for you taking us to San Antonio trip, for your work, and giving us opportunities to meet wonderful people…I wish to mature up and become a person like you one day wh helps everyone like you do.” Adrian said the friendships formed through CFP demonstrate that meaningful change often starts on a personal level. “Peace doesn’t begin with governments or political agreements,” Adrian said. “Sometimes, it begins with a conversation, a friendship, and the willingness to see another person as a human being rather than as a representative of ‘the other side.’” He added that he is grateful for the friendships and perspectives the students brought into his life. “I will carry their stories, their friendship, and what I learned from them with me for a very long time,” Adrian said. ETCOG is proud to recognize Adrian’s commitment to service and his willingness to share both his home and workplace with students participating in this important exchange for peace.
