$12.5B
FTC-reported fraud losses in 2024
FTC says consumers reported losing $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024.
stimulus check fraud
Scammers impersonate government agencies and claim victims must pay a fee or verify personal information to receive a stimulus payment.
“check scam”
↑ 34%Key indicators
Usually targetsSellers
Often hitsSmall business owners
Common regionUnited States
Last updated2026-04-04
Estimated impact
$960
median reported loss
Typical range$60 – $6.0K
Recovery rate~15%
Scam breakdown
1
Scammers call, email, or text claiming to be from the IRS, Treasury Department, or Social Security Administration.
2
They tell the victim they need to verify personal or banking details to release a stimulus payment.
3
The collected information is used for identity theft or to redirect legitimate payments to scammer-controlled accounts.
What to do first
Remember that the IRS will never call, text, or email to ask for personal information or payment.
Related terms
government stimulus scameconomic impact payment fraudrelief check phishingCheck and money order scamsPhoneRisingSellersSmall business ownersJob seekersSmall business ownersCreators and online sellersRemote workers and job seekersUnited Statesgovernment stimulus scameconomic impact payment fraud
Real-world example
How this scam plays out in practice
Based on reported patterns. Names and details are illustrative.
The setup
Rebecca, 35, a sellers, encountered what appeared to be a legitimate check and money order scams situation while using Phone. Scammers call, email, or text claiming to be from the IRS, Treasury Department, or Social Security Administration.
Step 2
What happened next was calculated: They tell the victim they need to verify personal or banking details to release a stimulus payment.
Step 3
The pressure escalated quickly: The collected information is used for identity theft or to redirect legitimate payments to scammer-controlled accounts.
The outcome
Rebecca realized something was wrong when caller claims you must pay a fee to receive a government stimulus check. By that point, significant damage had already been done — money sent, personal information shared, or trust exploited.
The lesson
Remember that the IRS will never call, text, or email to ask for personal information or payment. Rebecca's experience shows why caller claims you must pay a fee to receive a government stimulus check and request for social security number or bank account details by phone or text are the clearest early warning signs.
How to identify it
- Caller claims you must pay a fee to receive a government stimulus check
- Request for Social Security number or bank account details by phone or text
- Promise of a larger stimulus payment than officially announced
- Pause before paying, clicking, or sharing information. Scammers rely on speed.
- Verify the sender, company, or agency using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.
- Treat secrecy, urgency, and off-platform payment requests as strong scam signals.
What to do now
- ✓Remember that the IRS will never call, text, or email to ask for personal information or payment.
- ✓Check stimulus payment status only at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.
- ✓Report stimulus scams to the Treasury Inspector General at 1-800-366-4484.
What to save before reporting
- ✓Save the message, profile, phone number, email, or URL that was used.
- ✓Keep payment confirmations, receipts, and account alerts before you dispute or delete anything.
- ✓Write down the timeline while the details are still fresh.
- ✓Save the full chat or call log before blocking the sender so the reporting path still has the original context.
How big is this problem
You are not alone — this scam affects millions of people.
These numbers come from government agencies and official reports. If you have been affected, know that this is a widespread problem — not something that only happens to careless people.
FTC 2024 fraud losses
Imposters
Most common FTC fraud category in 2024
FTC says imposter scams remained the most commonly reported fraud category in 2024.
History and evolution
- This scam family tends to persist because the social-engineering pressure works even when the exact scripts, platforms, and payment methods change.
- The specific packaging evolves over time, but the core pattern usually stays the same: create urgency, control the channel, and push action before verification.
- The IRS Criminal Investigation division identified over 1 billion USD in fraudulent COVID-era stimulus claims through 2024.
Recovery and follow-up
- ✓Save the messages, receipts, account alerts, and transaction details before you block or delete anything.
- ✓Report the scam through the official platform or government channel that best matches where it happened.
- ✓Tell close contacts if a phone or text scam used your identity, so scammers cannot reuse the same story against people around you.
- ✓Remember that the IRS will never call, text, or email to ask for personal information or payment.
- ✓Check stimulus payment status only at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.
Why this pattern keeps working
Even when the story changes, most scams still use the same pressure pattern: urgency, authority, and a request to move money or data fast.
The IRS Criminal Investigation division identified over 1 billion USD in fraudulent COVID-era stimulus claims through 2024.
FBI IC3 2024
Where to report it
If you have been targeted by this scam, reporting it helps authorities track the pattern and protect others. United States has dedicated agencies that handle fraud reports.
ReportFraud.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Central U.S. consumer fraud reporting portal.
File an IC3 complaint
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
FBI portal for internet-enabled crime reports.
Start identity theft recovery
IdentityTheft.gov
Official U.S. identity theft recovery plan builder.
Explore further
Understand the bigger picture
Who is most at risk
Who this scam targets
Primary targets
Sellers, Small business owners, Job seekers
Geographic concentration
United States
Primary channel
Phone — Check and money order scams
Why this group is vulnerable
Sellers are particularly vulnerable because this scam exploits trust in familiar brands, authority figures, and time-sensitive decisions. The growing number of reports suggests that awareness among this demographic remains low.
Sources and methodology
How we verify this information
OpenScam tracks scam patterns using a combination of government consumer protection databases (FTC, IC3, Action Fraud), platform-specific fraud reports, and verified consumer complaint data. Each entry is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication.
Severity ratings are based on financial impact potential, reversibility of damage, and volume of reports across multiple reporting channels. Trend velocity reflects the rate of change in report volume over the most recent 90-day window.
This page was last verified on 2026-04-04. Red flags, recovery steps, and reporting resources are reviewed quarterly against current agency guidance.
Evidence and indicators
- The IRS Criminal Investigation division identified over 1 billion USD in fraudulent COVID-era stimulus claims through 2024.
Source notes
- FBI IC3 2024
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about stimulus check fraud
How does the stimulus check fraud work?+
Scammers call, email, or text claiming to be from the IRS, Treasury Department, or Social Security Administration. They tell the victim they need to verify personal or banking details to release a stimulus payment. The collected information is used for identity theft or to redirect legitimate payments to scammer-controlled accounts.
What are the warning signs of stimulus check fraud?+
Caller claims you must pay a fee to receive a government stimulus check Request for Social Security number or bank account details by phone or text Promise of a larger stimulus payment than officially announced
What should I do if I encounter stimulus check fraud?+
Remember that the IRS will never call, text, or email to ask for personal information or payment. Check stimulus payment status only at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment. Report stimulus scams to the Treasury Inspector General at 1-800-366-4484.
Who is most at risk for stimulus check fraud?+
This scam primarily targets Sellers, Small business owners, Job seekers. It is most commonly reported in United States and typically appears on Phone.
Is stimulus check fraud on the rise?+
stimulus check fraud is currently on the rise with growing reports. It has been reported across US. Last updated 2026-04-04.
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Help someone avoid this scam.
Scammers succeed because people do not talk about it. If you or someone you know has been affected, there is no shame in it — it happens to millions of people every year. Share this page with friends and family so they know what to look for.
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