SCAMMERS WILL ASK FOR ‘PROCESSING FEE’
According to BBB Scam Tracker, a common scam that popped up during the last round of stimulus checks is fraudsters offering payments faster, or even additional funds, for a small “processing fee” – typically using a prepaid debit or gift card.
However, there’s no such thing as getting your money early, even by paying a fee.
There’s also been an uptick in cash advance offers at a very high interest rate that adds up to be much higher than the stimulus check, Quentin Rhoads-Herrera, director of professional services at cybersecurity firm CRITICALSTART told CNBC.
“If anyone offers a cash advance on your stimulus check, be very aware of the underlying terms and conditions of that offer,” Rhoads-Herrera said.
Also be wary of any requests that require payments by gift card, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
Experts say that is also likely a scam.