Some people are getting texts claiming they have been chosen to get extra stimulus money.
It sounds good, but it is real?
The text reads “Congrats!! You have been chosen by the U.S. government as one of the recipients for COVID-19 pandemic relief extra stimulus bonus.”
It includes a link with more information to apply.
Cheryl wrote the VERIFY team, “I received this text. It was sent to four other recipients.”
She, Glen and a couple of others asked us to verify, “Is this true?”
Our source for this is the U.S. Department of Treasury.
They tell the VERIFY team, the web link included in the message “is not an authorized Treasury website.”
The Department also included in its response a warning from the IRS urging consumers to be aware of these types of scams, emphasizing the only way to get these benefits is by either filing a tax return or registering online on IRS.gov.
Any other option is a scam.
So, we can verify the text is not legit.
The website to apply has been flagged and taken down.