All eligible recipients for 2nd wave of stimulus checks should be careful with all email, phone calls, etc. as over $200 million of fraudulent activity has occurred.  CNBC has an in-depth article which includes 5 key “red flag” warnings to avoid being scammed.

Stimulus check scams: here are red flags to watch for (cnbc.com)

Americans lost over $211 million to Covid-19 scams and stimulus payment fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Since January, the agency has received over 275,600 complaints.  While fraud activity is down from the highs recorded earlier in the year, it will likely pick back up now that President Donald Trump has signed the $900 billion pandemic relief package, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.

That’s because the legislation includes provisions for a second round of stimulus payments, up to $600 per individual, including dependent children under age 17, if you’re an individual who earned less than $75,000 ($150,000 for those married filing jointly) in 2019. Stimulus payments start to phase out if you earned more than that, stopping completely for those with adjusted gross incomes of $87,000 or more ($174,000 for married couples).
FIVE KEY WARNING SIGNS FOR COMPUTER BASED SCAMS & FRAUD
1. Unsolicited calls or emails
2. Messages that ask to “verify” or provide information
3. High-pressure tactics
4. There’s a fee involved
5. Lookalike checks