Some common COVID-19 scams include:
Text messages asking taxpayers to disclose bank account information under the promise of receiving a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment.
Phishing schemes using email, letters and social media messages with keywords like Coronavirus, COVID-19 and stimulus in varying ways. These scammers know many people are in desperate need of money, and they ll use certain buzz words to entice you.
Another big scam the IRS is seeing is the sale of fake at-home COVID-19 test kits.
The IRS said taxpayers should not engage in these types of solicitations.
To learn more about COVID-19 and stimulus payment scams, visit
Right on cue though, there s another round of scams targeting that money.
The stimulus payments may come in the form of debit cards. The first thing to know is that if you get a debit card in the mail from Meta Bank, it
is the real deal.
What is
NOT real are the dozens of scams that crooks are using to try to get your stimulus money from you.
We have seen scammers using emails and text messages posing as the IRS. They try to get you to click on links in order to get your banking information, or those links will attach malware on your computer or mobile device.
Lookout for a New Text Message Stimulus Scam
It s an understatement to say that anything regarding COVID-19 and stimulus checks is stressful. That s why scammers are currently out in full force.
The Kingston Police Department is warning Kington residents and those in the Hudson Valley to be on the lookout for the latest COVID-Stimulus scam.
According to a post on the Kingston Police Departments Facebook page, there has been yet another text message scam going around. This time, scammers will send a text message explaining that you have been enrolled for a COVID-19 Relief Scheme.
Along with the text is a link and promises of making up to $1,472 every day.
HEADLINES & GLOBAL NEWS
By
Jan 12, 2021 09:55 AM EST
Those needing PPP loans round two will not include Maine businesses, unfortunate. Many companies have been struck by the lockdowns that these loans are vital for these businesses to keep afloat.
Businesses in Portland, Maine, like other states in the country, should be able to apply for another road of
federal Paycheck Protection Program loans.
In 2020, Maine s commercial establishments got more than$2.2 billion in federal funds received last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Maine and other places in the US. Worrying business owners how to stay in operation reported News Center, Maine.
Be Wary of Stimulus Check Scams, Warns BBB
As Americans begin to receive their second round of stimulus checks, there are lessons to be learned from when they were sent out last year.
The Better Business Bureau is warning that now is the ideal time for scammers to prey on vulnerable people who are desperate for help.
There are a few, key things you can do to protect yourself against these potential scams.
When the last round of stimulus checks was being sent out by the government, a number of reports were sent to the Better Business Bureau regarding consumers being frauded out of money via text messages, e-mails, and phone calls.