He got a coronavirus relief check — even before Congress approved the relief package
Thomas Andrews knew something wasn’t right when he received a $3,000 coronavirus relief check in the mail Thursday.
At the time, the House of Representatives hadn’t even approved the $2 trillion stimulus package. And even though the House did approve it Friday afternoon, the checks will still take about three weeks to reach Americans.
Then there was the packaging.
The check “said time sensitive, fast-tracked, open immediately, do not bend, stuff like that,” Andrews told WFLA.
He then immediately jumped on Facebook and spread the word.
“I wanted to post it as soon as I could because I know that some people, like my grandma, would have fallen for stuff like that,” he said.
The fake check, which originated from a “Stimulus Relief Program” in Central Florida, was accompanied by a letter telling recipients to claim their “relief funds and other incentives” at an address across the street from a Walmart. There’s not even a phone number listed but the letter does note that the program has been established to “help local residents purchase automobiles.”
Andrews told WFLA that he believes the check was an advertisement by a used car salesman trying to take advantage of the coronavirus-induced economic crisis.
Now that Congress has approved the $2.2 trillion relief package, millions of Americans will receive checks of roughly $1,200, depending on their income, over the next three weeks.
Coronavirus scams have recently begun popping up. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already warned people against touting vaccines or cures to the novel coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 4:57 PM.
