Identity Theft Motivation Check Scams: Increasingly Common

The story of Carmen Gonzalez, a Hispanic woman who lost thousands of dollars in refunds, may be more common than you think. She was the victim of a scam in which they impersonated her identity and also stole the money from her inflation stimulus check.Carmen should have received an amount corresponding to the direct payment of $700.00. However, the money is still not in your bank account. Citizen announced www.univision19.com That the amount has been deposited since October 14th, but it doesn’t appear in your bank account yet.

He also stated that the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) had told him that once the money was approved, they could not get a refund. FTB, for its part, confirms that the money from the inflation stimulus check was sent to the affected party’s account.

According to US Federal Trade Commission data, about 30,000 people experienced identity theft in California during the year. But Carmen’s condition is even more serious if one takes into account that this is not the first time this has happened to her.

The affected person said: “Since 2018 I have lost money and I don’t know where it is.” Univision19. Because of the increasing status of these cases, California Attorney General Rob Ponta has warned about this danger.

The agency said there are more and more thieves seeking to steal money from stimulus checks due to inflation.

To get that money back, there is a way to replace the debit card according to Catalina Martinez, an FTB spokeswoman. Martinez also mentioned that in the case of direct deposit, it’s up to his bank for possible refunds.

What can I do to avoid scams with my stimulus check?

The first thing you can do is check, through the FTB line 800-542-9332, how much money you have. You must not provide anyone with your bank account, social security number, ITIN, or credit card information.

Also, don’t pay anyone who claims to help you speed up the arrival of your money. Do not click on links received by email, text or WhatsApp. And don’t forget to end calls where they ask you for information that is “supposed” to activate your debit card.