Attorney General Steve Six issued a warning today about economic stimulus scams that have recently emerged.
These scams seek to convince consumers that they have qualified for a portion of President Obama’s economic stimulus package.
In reality they are attempts to either steal funds from the victim’s bank accounts or to steal their identity.
The scams operate in various ways. Some are pop-up ads that have already appeared on popular sites such as Google and Facebook.
These ads advertize that individuals may qualify for grants of up to $25,000.
When people click on the ad they are directed to scam websites such as www.presidentobamagrants.com or www.jessicasmoneyblog.com.
Consumers are told that they may obtain information for accessing stimulus funds for a small fee by credit card.
The consumers are then enrolled in a trial membership and then later billed for hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars if they don’t cancel within a certain amount of time.
Often the consumers are completely unaware that they are enrolled in the membership program until the charges appear on their credit card statements.
Another form of the scam may appear in email messages. Consumers are sent an email stating that they have qualified for a grant.
The consumer must then provide their bank account information so that the grant may be deposited directly into their account.
The scammers will then drain money out of the victim’s account or they may use the victim’s personal information to commit identity theft.
To avoid becoming a victim Attorney General Six recommends that consumers not open unidentified emails and that they do not click on links promising free money.
If a consumer believes they are a victim of the stimulus scam they may contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1(800) 432-2310 or they may report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1(877) 382-4357.
Consumers may also visit the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov.
