With 1.2 million Utahns receiving stimulus checks, scams abound

The Internal Revenue Service reports that 1.2 million Utahns have received checks in the second round of pandemic relief stimulus payments totaling over $2.4 billion. And with all that new cash available, there are bound to be scam artists coming after it. Nationwide, the amount of money stolen by online fraud during the stimulus check distribution has exceeded $300 million, according to figures released by the Federal Trade Commission.

Google said during the first round of stimulus payments last year, it blocked 18 million email scams per day. Over 150,000 fraudulent stimulus check websites were launched.

With Congress negotiating another round of stimulus, residents need to watch out for more scams. 

According to socialcatfish.com, the most common scams include robocall check scams where scammers ask for financial information, claiming they need it to deposit your check; email and text scams asking victims to click on a link; fake websites that download malware onto your computer and ask for financial information; and phony checks that, once deposited, the scammers text you pretending to be the government asking for some of the money back claiming too much was sent.

Anyone encountering a coronavirus scam should contact local law enforcement or file a claim with the FTC.