Stimulus update: Avoid Facebook scam promising ‘$540/month’

A Facebook scam is circulating on social media, claiming to offer anyone who clicks it a payment of “$540/month.”

The ad mimics an IRS webpage and claims that the government offers “health credits” to help people pay for groceries and other essentials. It also warns that there is a limited amount of time to receive the offer, according to the Motley Fool.

“Today is the last day for Americans to get $540/month thanks to this new gov benefit,” the ad reads. “Click below to claim.”

While the American Rescue Plan, which the ad refers to, does include subsidies to lower healthcare costs for 13 million qualifying United States residents, the ad itself is fake. It may appear legitimate to those who are not experts on the American Rescue Plan.

If you come across what appears to be a good offer, it is recommended to check several things regarding the ad. These include checking the URL. If the link claims to be a government website but redirects people to something other than a “.gov” link, that is a red flag. Also, if the ad is poorly written or seems too good to be true, it is likely a scam.

The best approach to avoid getting scammed is to avoid clicking on suspicious ads.

On Tuesday, the IRS warned taxpayers about phishing and smishing scams as the 2022 tax season draws to a close. Phishing involves fraudsters sending an email claiming to be the IRS or another tax or financial organization. Smishing is the same scam but via text message.