Some mistakenly throwing out their stimulus debit cards
AARP Hawaii notes confusion, concern about scams, fraud
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The Maui News
IRS stimulus payments arriving in the mail as debit cards, rather than Treasury checks, are causing confusion and concerns about fraud, AARP Hawaii said Friday.
Some people have even destroyed or tossed them out thinking it was a scam, AARP Hawaii said.
The IRS mailed about four million prepaid debit cards, known as Economic Impact Payment or EIP cards, to people who did not provide electronic deposit information to the IRS.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network is reporting an increase in calls asking if the debit cards are legitimate and if recipients should be sharing their Social Security number to activate it.
The cards arrive in a plain envelope from "Money Network Cardholder Services." The VISA name appears on the front of the EIP card and the name of the issuing bank, MetaBank, N.A., appears on the back.
Some callers reported they did not realize the card was from the government and thought it was junk mail or a scam card because they did not ask for it, AARP Hawaii said.
Activating the card requires calling (800) 240-8100 and providing an address and the last six digits of your Social Security number. You also will be asked to create a personal identification number.
The card generally can be used without fee where VISA debit cards are accepted. However, some ATMs and out-of-network withdrawals have fees, AARP Hawaii said.
There also is a $7.50 fee for a lost or stolen card.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network warns that any time money is involved and there is confusion, scammers will likely try to take advantage of it.
"Do not give your PIN, EIP debit card number or Social Security number to anyone that calls you or texts you asking to verify the receipt of your card," said AARP Hawaii State Director Keali'i Lopez. "Make sure to fully read the terms and conditions included in the card to understand how it will operate and where you can use it for transactions."
Here are some tips from AARP's Fraud Watch Network for using the cards:
• Recipients will get a letter with the EIP card telling how to activate it. Be very careful to call the correct phone number. Don't search the internet for the number. Scammers sometimes set up fake customer service numbers to deceive people and take their personal information.
• Don't give PIN, EIP debt card number or Social Security number to anyone who calls or texts.
• Check mail carefully to avoid tossing EIP card out with junk mail.
If the EIP card was destroyed or thrown out, call the toll-free customer service line at (800) 240-8100 or TTY (800) 241-9100 to ask for a replacement. More information is available at the EIP website www.eipcard.com/, including information on how to transfer the funds from the EIP card to a personal checking or savings account.
AARP's Fraud Watch Network's toll-free fraud help line is (877) 908-3360.