Cash cards from U.S. not scam, attorney general advises

Danielle Ambord slides her debit card into a reader as she pays for groceries in Seattle in this undated file photo.
Danielle Ambord slides her debit card into a reader as she pays for groceries in Seattle in this undated file photo.

Arkansans who receive a prepaid debit card in the mail from the U.S. Treasury Department shouldn’t assume it’s a scam, state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said this week.

Rutledge’s office has received “several dozen” calls from constituents who wondered whether the debit cards are real, prompting her office to send out an “alert” warning people not to trash what could be their federal stimulus money.

“Many Arkansans are in dire need of this stimulus payment,” Rutledge said in a statement. “This is not a scam and please do not throw away a white envelope with the U.S. Department of Treasury seal without opening it.”

The Economic Impact Payment Cards are prepaid cards the Treasury Department is sending to some taxpayers in the latest round of stimulus funding. After Congress approved a second round of the payments in December, some people received their funds as checks from the Internal Revenue Service, while some will get it through direct deposit.

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Approximately 8 million Americans will receive their stimulus funds through the prepaid cards, according to the Treasury Department. The cards have confused some taxpayers, prompting calls to the attorney general’s office.

“The AG’s office has received several dozen calls asking about these cards coming in the mail,” Stephanie Sharp, a spokeswoman for Rutledge, said in a statement. “It’s definitely a concern for a lot of people.”

The attorney general’s office said the genuine card will arrive in a a white envelope that “prominently displays the U.S. Department of the Treasury seal.”

The envelope will feature a statement saying the letter is “Not a bill or an advertisement. Important information about your Economic Impact Payment,” in red ink.

People who received stimulus funds through a check during the first round of payments last year may receive a card this time around and vice versa, according to the Treasury Department. The stimulus card can be used like a normal debit card to make purchases or to withdraw cash from an ATM.

The card looks like a Visa debit card with white stars on a blue background printed on the front and is issued by MetaBank.

The cards are nothing new; during the last round of stimulus, some taxpayers received their funds as prepaid debit cards. Who receives a prepaid card and who receives a check is determined by the IRS.

Anyone who lost or destroyed the stimulus card, can request a replacement through MetaBank customer service by calling (800) 240-8100.

People who make under $75,000 a year are eligible for $600 in stimulus money while married couples who make less than $150,000 combined are eligible for a $1,200 check with an additional $600 per child. The latest round of funds is derived from a $900 billion package Congress passed to help Americans suffering during the coronavirus pandemic.

That stimulus is the second one Congress has passed during the pandemic, previously providing $1,200 in cash payments and relief to businesses.

Second set of stimulus payments
Second set of stimulus payments

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