Through 2020 and 2021, three rounds of stimulus checks went out to the American people, in hopes of lessening the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its been more than four years since that first shelter in place order was issued, but people around the globe continue to feel the effects of the pandemic. Almost every life, world-wide, was massively affected by COVID in one way or another. Many people lost loved ones, others lost their jobs, and everyone felt the slow squeeze of the months-long restrictions passed down by our health organizations.
All that work payed off, officially shifting COVID from a global pandemic to another dangerous, but manageable, virus, but the impacts of those years continue to haunt us. The trio of stimulus checks that went out between 2020 and 2021 did little to lessen the impact of the pandemic, but they were a balm on our scalded bank accounts. Reports of yet another round of incoming checks have been piquing the interest of Americans across the nation, but just because they sound nice doesn’t make them real.
Is a fourth stimulus check incoming?
A number of fake news and AI-driven sites have been reporting on yet another round of stimulus checks, sparking hope that yet more financial aid is incoming to take a small portion of the burden off. Unfortunately, no governmental sources have confirmed these reports, making their veracity highly questionable.
AARP covered these false reports of a fourth stimulus check in February of 2024, debunking claims of more aid with no room for argument. The organization, which focuses its energy in particular on people nearing or over the U.S. retirement age, is working hard to debunk these claims before scammers get their fingers into too many bank accounts.
Reports of a fourth stimulus check indicate that it is headed toward specifically older Americans, or those with disabilities. This is in no way true, according to IRS spokesman Anthony Burke, who informed AARP that the IRS has “paid out all the Economic Impact Payments.” If you missed out on the first few rounds of stimulus checks, however, or if you were underpaid, there are still options to claim that leftover cash.
If you’ve received calls about a fourth stimulus check, however, all evidence points to it being a scam. I myself have received these calls, directed at my father, who officially entered retirement age recently. I saw them for what they were — a scam intended to prey on the elderly, or near-elderly, who may not be as technologically literate as younger generations. Not everyone is accidentally screening their parents’ calls, however, so caution is very much advised when it comes to informing the older people in our lives about this scam.
Another stimulus check would certainly be welcome, with all the turmoil Americans have been forced to endure over the last four years, but there’s no indication that another is incoming. These scams seem to largely be aimed toward getting clicks, rather than stealing information, but it’s still advisable to avoid providing any personal information if you, or someone you know, receives communication about another round of stimulus checks.