Don’t throw it away! People confusing stimulus debit cards for junk mail

PITTSBURGH — If you haven't received your stimulus check yet, keep your eyes open.

Millions of people are now getting pre-paid debit cards instead of checks, and people are overlooking them.

It's an honest and easy mistake. The card comes lumped with other bills and ads, and people see the envelope and just toss it in the garbage, not realizing the cards are 100% legitimate.

Most people have already received the stimulus as a paper check or direct deposit.

The U.S. Treasury Department and IRS started sending out this VISA card version last week.

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Experts are stressing this is not a scam. The VISA cards come from Metabank, and the plain white envelopes are from Money Network Cardholder Services. Both names may sound totally unfamiliar to most people, but one is actually the treasury’s financial agent.

“Carefully go through your mail, especially if you haven’t received your economic impact payment yet. And remember that you can still track your funds through the IRS directly using their get my payment tracker app on IRS.gov,” said Caitliln Driscoll, Public Relations Director of BBB Western Pa,

People have reported the VISA cards don’t have any sort of federal logo on them, so they just cut them up.

The IRS sent out an alert about these cards last week, but there has still been confusion as to why they made the switch.

The Better Business Bureau has even reported receiving complaints about how these work.

So, be on the lookout and d

on’t toss these envelopes in the trash.

If you have misplaced your Economic Impact Payment Card, you can lock it by logging in online at EIPCard.com to prevent unauthorized transactions or ATM withdrawals while you look for it.

If your Card is permanently lost, it is important that you call customer service at 1.800.240.8100 to report your lost or stolen card immediately. Your Card will be deactivated to prevent anyone from using it and a new replacement Card will be ordered. Fees may apply.

What happens to your stimulus check when the IRS comes calling next tax season? What happens to your stimulus check when the IRS comes calling next tax season?

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