Stimulus payments from the federal government are real, but most offers you see online or receive unsolicited are not

The U.S. Treasury has sent stimulus payments three times: in 2020 (the CARES Act), 2021 (the American Rescue Plan), and 2022 (the American Recovery Plan). If you were a U.S. citizen or resident alien with a valid Social Security number and met income limits, you received money directly. Those payments are finished. Any message telling you that you are owed a new stimulus payment, that you can claim one you missed, or that you need to "verify" your information to receive one is almost certainly a scam.

Scammers use the word "stimulus" because it carries weight and urgency. They know people remember the real payments and will click a link or call a number if they think money is waiting. The IRS and the Treasury Department do not contact people by text, email, or social media to tell them about payments. They do not ask you to click links or provide personal information to claim money. If you receive an unsolicited message about stimulus money, treat it as a scam unless you initiated the contact yourself.

Key Takeaways

  • The federal government sent three rounds of stimulus payments between 2020 and 2022, and those programs have ended.
  • The IRS and Treasury never contact you by text, email, social media, or phone to tell you about a payment or ask you to verify information.
  • Scammers pose as government agencies and use links or phone numbers designed to steal your Social Security number, bank details, or tax information.
  • If you think you missed a stimulus payment from 2020, 2021, or 2022, you can check the IRS website or call the IRS directly using a number you find yourself, not one from a message.

How the real stimulus payments worked and why they are over

Congress passed three stimulus bills that sent payments to individuals. The first, in March 2020, sent $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. The second, in March 2021, sent $1,400 per person. The third, in March 2022, sent $1,400 per person but only to households below certain income thresholds. The IRS used tax records, Social Security Administration data, and Veterans Affairs records to identify who may have access to. People received payments by direct deposit, check, or debit card depending on what information the IRS had on file.

These programs are closed. Congress has not passed a new stimulus bill since 2022. No new round of payments is planned or pending. If you see an ad, email, or text claiming a fourth stimulus payment exists, it is false. Scammers refresh this lie every few months because it works — people want to believe money is coming, and they act without thinking.

Red flags that separate real government communication from scams

The IRS and Treasury Department follow strict rules about how they contact the public. They do not initiate contact by text message, email, social media, or phone call. If they need to reach you about taxes or a payment, they send a letter by mail to your address on file. This is slow and frustrating, but it is how the government actually works.

Any message that asks you to click a link, download an attachment, or call a phone number to claim stimulus money is a scam. Scammers create fake websites that look like IRS.gov or Treasury.gov. They send text messages that appear to come from the IRS. They set up phone numbers with IRS-sounding names. Once you click or call, they ask for your Social Security number, date of birth, bank account details, or tax filing information. They use this to steal your identity, drain your bank account, or file false tax returns in your name.

Real government websites end in .gov. If a link says "irs-stimulus.com" or "treasury-payment.net" or anything other than an official .gov address, it is fake. Do not click it. Do not call a number from a text or email. If you want to contact the IRS, go to IRS.gov yourself or call 1-800-829-1040 using a number you find by searching, not one provided in a message.

What to do if you think you missed a real stimulus payment

If you believe you were owed a stimulus payment in 2020, 2021, or 2022 but did not receive it, you can check your status on the IRS website. Go to IRS.gov and look for "Get My Payment" or "Economic Impact Payment" information. You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and mailing address. The tool will tell you whether a payment was sent and where it went.

If the IRS shows a payment was sent but you never received it, the money may have been deposited to an old bank account, sent to an address you no longer use, or lost in the mail. You can file a claim by including the missing payment on your tax return. When you file your 2020, 2021, or 2022 return (depending on which year you missed the payment), you report the stimulus money you did not receive. The IRS will review your return and send you the difference if you are owed it. This takes several weeks to several months.

If you need help understanding whether you received a payment or how to claim a missing one, contact the IRS directly. Call 1-800-829-1040 during business hours. Do not call a number from an email or text. Do not visit a website linked from a message. Find the number yourself.

How scammers use stimulus language to steal from you

Stimulus scams work in layers. The first layer is the bait: a text saying "Claim your $1,400 stimulus payment" or an email with the subject line "Your stimulus refund is ready." The message includes a link or a phone number. When you click or call, you reach a fake website or a person pretending to be from the IRS.

The second layer is the request for information. The fake site asks you to enter your Social Security number, date of birth, and address to "verify your identity." Or the person on the phone says they need to "confirm" your information before releasing the payment. They may ask for your bank account number so they can "deposit the money directly." None of this is how the government works. The government does not need you to verify information to send you money you already earned or may have access to for. They already have your information.

The third layer is the theft. Once you provide your Social Security number and bank details, scammers can open credit cards in your name, take out loans, file tax returns to steal refunds, or drain your bank account. The damage can take months or years to fix. By the time you realize what happened, the scammer is gone and your credit is destroyed.

What to do if you clicked a scam link or called a scam number

If you clicked a link in a text or email about stimulus money, stop using that device and change your passwords immediately. If you provided your Social Security number, date of birth, or bank account information, contact your bank right away and tell them you may be a victim of identity theft. Ask them to freeze your account and watch for unauthorized transactions.

Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC collects reports and shares patterns with law enforcement. You can also report it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov if the scam pretended to be from the IRS. File a report with your local police department as well, even though they may not investigate. You need a police report number for your records if you need to dispute fraudulent charges or accounts later.

If your information was stolen, place a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) by contacting one of them and asking them to notify the others. A fraud alert tells creditors to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. You can also place a credit freeze, which is stronger but requires you to unfreeze it when you want to open a legitimate account yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a fourth stimulus payment coming in 2024 or 2025?

No. Congress has not passed a new stimulus bill since 2022. There is no fourth payment planned. If you see ads or messages claiming one exists, they are scams. The only way a new stimulus payment would happen is if Congress passed a new law, which would be major news covered by mainstream media outlets.

Can I claim a stimulus payment I missed on my tax return?

Yes. If you did not receive a stimulus payment in 2020, 2021, or 2022 that you were owed, you can claim it on your tax return for that year. When you file, report the payment you did not receive. The IRS will review your return and send you the money if you may have access to. This process takes several weeks to several months.

What if I received a stimulus payment but I was not supposed to?

The IRS has not asked people to return stimulus payments. If you received money you did not think you were owed, do not spend it without understanding why you got it. You can check the IRS website or call 1-800-829-1040 to ask. If the IRS later determines you were not owed it, they may deduct it from a future refund or ask you to repay it, but this is rare.

How do I know if a website is really from the IRS?

Real IRS websites end in .gov, such as IRS.gov. Fake sites use names that sound official but end in .com, .net, or other extensions. If you are unsure, do not click the link. Instead, go to IRS.gov directly by typing it into your browser yourself, or call 1-800-829-1040 using a number you find by searching, not one from a message.