(WCCO/CBS Local) — The second round of federal stimulus payments have been slow in reaching some bank accounts, and they’re causing some confusion.
Some aren’t getting a direct deposit or a check. Instead, it’s a pre-paid debit card. And this new form of payment is catching people off guard, including Cheri Schwartz, who hesitated when she recently opened a letter in the mail.
“It had like the U.S. Treasury seal. Looked very legitimate,” Schwartz said. “There has been so much news of scams, of people trying to steal your money, especially with seniors such as myself.”
Inside was an “Economic Impact Payment Card,” which operates just like a pre-paid Visa gift card. Eight-million Americans will get their second stimulus payment this way even if some got a check the first time around.
(credit: CBS)
Are people right to be concerned that this might be a scam? WCCO asked this question to Boa Vang with the Better Business Bureau.
“A consumer out there should be concerned about suspicious activity,” Vang said. “You may not know it’s coming in a pre-paid debit form.”
So how can you verify this isn’t a scam? First, the white envelope will display the U.S. Department of Treasury Seal. The card itself should be a Visa, with the back of it identifying the issuing bank. You will then call a toll-free number to activate the card, which is right when Schwartz became concerned.
“And at the point that they asked me to give the last six digits of the Social Security number. That’s when I hung up,” Schwartz said.
Vang says in this case, including a portion of your Social Security number is needed to activate the card. Schwartz’s husband took her card to the bank, who then helped him activate it.
“Do research on it, don’t just jump in with both feet,” Schwartz said.
If you threw out the card thinking it was a scam, click here to request a replacement card.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Instead of service with a smile, a McDonald’s customer in Queens said he was smacked by employee after being refused service. The customer has now filed a lawsuit seeking millions of dollars. As Christine Sloan reported, exclusive video obtained by CBS2 showed customer James Jin Kim trying to record an employee who he said refused to wait on him at a McDonald’s on Main Street in Flushing, Queens. Thirty seconds later, the employee is seen coming at Kim with what appeared to be a broom, swinging it around, and smacking the phone out of his hand. Attorney Christine Bae represents Kim, and is suing McDonald’s for $10 million. She said Kim grabbed his cellphone to show that he was not being served despite waiting 15 minutes. “Someone from the back said, ‘We don't serve people like you,’ pointing at him, ‘You get out of my restaurant,’" Bae said. "He felt very embarrassed, and the other employees, when you see the video clip, they stand there laughing at him and ridiculing this whole situation as if it’s some comedy that happened." According to a police complaint, employee Rooshi Sajjad was charged with attempted assault during the February incident. The Queens District Attorney’s office said Sajjad pleaded guilty, and charges will be dismissed in a month if she stays out of trouble. CBS2 discovered the employee charged in the incident still works at the McDonald’s. Sloan asked her if she wanted to comment, and she said no and referred Sloan to the corporation. CBS 2 contacted McDonald’s several times about the complaint, but the company has not responded. But McDonald’s franchisee Luigi Solimeo did release a statement saying there was more to the story than appeared in the video. “Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of my customers and employees,” Solimeo said in the statement. “The video does not capture all of the details surrounding that event last February. As this is a legal and personnel matter, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.” You May Also Be Interested In These Stories [display-posts category="news" posts_per_page="4"]
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