The Federal Government has finally begun to send out the economic recovery one time payments to those folks that are currently getting SSI or Social Security, and not a moment too soon. The one time payment of 250.00 will begin being sent out in May, and you are not required to do anything to receive this payment. There are about 50 million people set to get these payments. What the government is concerned about, however, are scam artists taking advantage of the elderly folks that are on Social Security and other at risk groups.
The scam artists always flock to situations just like this to try and take advantage of those folks that are unaware. One scam is when they try to tell you that you need to respond to a fake email to get the payment. The easiest way to avoid the scams is to know that you need to do absolutely nothing to get the payment. No emails, no phone calls, no letters. You simply wait for your money. If anyone tells you otherwise, then it is a scam.
You should report to your local Social Security department if you are contacted by anyone with these types of requests. If everyone does so, then the scammers can be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Never give out your personal information or any information relating to your Social Security or payments. Report anyone that requests such information.
Other problems that one could run into is having these payments stolen from the mailbox. Make sure that you check your mail on a daily basis, and that you do not leave mail unchecked for days at a time. There are folks out there that will go from mail box to mail box and steal whatever is inside. Amazingly, these folks are able to not only get the checks out, but to cash them as well. Take special care to check your mail as close to when it is delivered as possible.
Finally, remember that no Social Security representatives will be contacting you over the phone or via email about this check. Many scam artists will use the telephone to try to get information about your accounts, Social Security, and other personal information. Never give this out to a stranger, and know that the government does not contact people in this fashion. Scam artists will do or say anything to get the information so do not fall for any of the tricks that they may attempt.
All payments should be received before June 4th and no inquiries should be made before that date. After June 4th, then you may contact the Social Security Administration for more information about where your check is. These checks are from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. If you have any other questions about scams, the checks themselves, or any other questions regarding Social Security or SSI, you may refer to their website.
