During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent out three rounds of economic impact payments, also known as stimulus checks. Qualifying Americans typically received between $1,200 and $1,400 for each check. The last payments were made in March 2021.
However, there has recently been a spike in Google searches about another round of IRS stimulus checks for $8,700. We also found several articles claiming that there will be a new $8,700 stimulus check from the IRS.
One of the websites says the new checks are being sent “as part of a broader initiative to stimulate the economy and help people cope with financial difficulties during the epidemic.” Some websites also claim that the payments are related to the child tax credit, which is a tax incentive for parents.
The sites usually claim that payments will be made by mid-June. Despite many false claims, the IRS does not send additional stimulus checks. Suspicious ‘content farm’ sites seem to be driving a recent Google search trend.
Will There Be $8,700 Stimulus Checks? The IRS Clarifies the Rumors
Unfortunately, we have to tell you that all these viral posts are fake. The IRS will not be sending $8,700 stimulus checks. An IRS spokesperson warned about scams promising new Economic Impact Payments.
The statement notes that while the stimulus payments ended long ago, the related scheme has evolved and changed as scammers look for new ways to tweak their messaging to trick people.
In order for new stimulus checks to be issued, Congress would have to pass legislation and President Biden would have to sign it into law, which hasn’t happened since the coronavirus pandemic ended.
The Child Tax Credit is also not sent in the form of an $8,700 payment, but as a credit associated with tax returns for eligible families. That credit amount was temporarily increased during the pandemic, but has since returned to its normal amount.
The Content Farms and Misinformation about Stimulus Checks
These fake articles are usually created by content farms that release dubious information on the internet and often rely on AI-generated articles with little or no human supervision.
Fake articles pretend to inform readers about “exclusive” or “new” benefits that do not actually exist, with the aim of attracting as many people as possible to their websites, which have numerous advertisements.
If it’s not clear where the article gets the information from, that’s also a red flag, Sadeghi adds. To avoid falling for the information in these fake articles, Sadeghi recommends scanning the article for information that doesn’t add up, as well as unnecessary repetition of key phrases.
Many of the articles about the non-existent stimulus checks have discrepancies. For example, one website starts by saying that the stimulus checks are “worth $8,700 in total.” Later, the website says that “the proposed stimulus will provide $8,700 in monthly payments to qualifying families” and that “the maximum monthly payment” is $1,450.
Discrepancies in Fake News
Despite claiming that the payment is monthly, the website mentions that there will be one payment on June 15 and a second payment on December 15.
The website also says it’s part of a ”new financial aid initiative” started by the federal government, but never mentions what the new program is or when it was created. There is no clear source or sense of credibility for the author of the site, nor where the claims come from.
