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If you’re hoping for another stimulus check or still waiting to receive your first one, you’ll want to read this. People are throwing away thousands of dollars without even realizing it.
During a time where people are opting for free remote access because they can’t afford hefty internet bills, getting a stimulus check could really make a difference. However, some Americans have been unwittingly throwing away their payments when they finally arrive.
Why are they doing this, you might ask? As of last week, the IRS has started to send out economic impact payments… but there’s a catch. The payments are sent out in regular white envelopes that can easily be confused for junk mail.
While many Americans have already received their payment in the form of direct deposit or paper checks, almost 4 million others are receiving prepaid debit cards instead. Not only are those payments being sent out in regular white envelopes, but there is also another issue.
The envelopes say “Money Network Cardholder Services” and there are no federal markings to indicate their importance. Recipients say that this makes the payments look identical to unwanted credit card offers.
As a result, this led to some people accidentally throwing away the cards, which could contain as much as $3,400 if mailed to a family of four.
Related: Mitch McConnell: Second COVID Stimulus Check Might Be Needed
People are sharing their stories online of how they’ve almost accidentally thrown away their stimulus check payments.
“I had not heard of this but I just got my covid stimulus money via a debit card? I was hella suspicious at first because I knew nothing about this but I researched it and it’s legit… and it actually has money on it,” tweeted valerieflames.
Politico editor Zack Stanton had a similar experience. He tweeted, “I almost threw mine out with the junk mail: The return address was ‘Money Network Cardholder Services,’ no indication it’s from the govt/U.S. Treasury. Inside that envelope? A debit card from the govt with $2,400 on it.”
Bonnie Moore from Florida shared her story with WINK-TV, saying, “My husband looked at it, briefly read it, and he said, ‘Do you want this?’ And I said, ‘I don’t need another fake card,’ so he cut it up in little pieces. The next thing you see is I am in the garbage can trying to pull out all of the pieces together, which did not work.”
Related: New Stimulus Checks: $6000 Per Family Proposed as Part of New Bill
To better help taxpayers identify the debit cards, the IRS has provided information in a FAQ. The FAQ says that the cards are issued by MetaBank and will bear the Visa logo.
A letter included with the cards explains that they are Economic Impact Payment cards.
Other parts of the government are also aware of how the payment cards can be confusing. The website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has this question posted on their FAQ:
“I received an Economic Impact Payment VISA prepaid debit card from the government in the mail. Is this a scam?”
“This is not a scam. The government is sending some people Economic Impact Payment Cards if they qualified for a stimulus payment and the IRS couldn’t direct deposit the payment,” reads the site.
Related: Pastor Asks for Stimulus Check Tithes After Defying State Coronavirus Orders
