Stimulus Checks Arriving as Prepaid Debit Cards Are Being Confused For Scams On 1/28/21 at 10:38 AM EST Stimulus payments arriving in the form of prepaid debit cards are being confused for scams. Some Americans expecting their second $600 payment are reportedly discarding the mail, believing the cards to be fake. About 8 million Americans are set to receive their payment as a prepaid debit card mailed to their home address, instead of a paper check or direct deposit. The switch may cause confusion for some, prompting the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to warn the public that the second payment may be in a different form than the first.