The news keeps circulating in regard to scammers using FEMA’s COVID-19 assistance to their advantage. Click here to learn all about the FEMA scam.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, scammers have been using the name of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take advantage of vulnerable survivors by defrauding them via Cash App.
So, Is Fema Giving Money to Cash App?
- According to FEMA, the agency would never send money and assistance funds through Cash App. Also, FEMA would never solicit or accept money.
- If you’re a victim of such a scam, you must report the matter to FEMA’s Disaster Fraud Hotline by dialing 1-866-720-5721.
Stick around to learn more about the FEMA scam and other similar scams and how you can keep your hard-earned money safe with Cash App.
RELATED READ: Is the $750 Cash App Rewards Programme Real?
All About the FEMA Cash App Scam
COVID-19 has opened the door for many new scams, some of which involve stealing money from survivors in need through Cash App.
The thing is, those scams come in many different forms. Some involve the promise of vaccine passports and stimulus checks, while others involve the promise of money.
The FEMA scam usually comes in the form of a text or even a Facebook/Instagram message saying that FEMA is giving out money (about $500) to COVID-19 survivors and that you need to provide your Cash App information.
You provide your Cash App information, and the next thing you know, transactions are being made using your bank account, and none of these transactions can be reversed. So eventually, you end up losing your hard-earned money instead of receiving any.
As we stated earlier, though, FEMA would never use platforms like Cash App to send funds to survivors. So, any message you receive trying to tie FEMA with Cash App is a scam.
Ways to Recognize Scams and Fraud
Before we highlight some of the ways you can recognize scams and frauds, it’s important to underline that FEMA will never ask you for money or banking information to provide disaster assistance.
What’s more, FEMA websites are always identified as U.S Government sites, and none of FEMA’s websites will ask you for payment or donations.
With that out of the way, here’s how you can recognize scams and fraud:
- Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website to learn about common scams that are being run these days.
- If someone asks you for your personal information or money to provide financial aid, they’re running a scam. Remember that FEMA never solicits or accepts money.
- Most, if not all, scammers defraud money from their victims through channels that the government would never use, like money transfer companies such as Cash App. Some even insist on getting paid with gift cards.
- If the party claiming to offer help is applying some sort of pressure, like asking you to provide your information at once, it’s a scam. You should never feel pressured to act immediately in such situations.
- If you’re face to face with someone who claims to be a FEMA representative, ask to see an ID badge. All FEMA representatives are required to carry their ID badges, which include a photograph. You should never rely on the FEMA shirt or jacket as proof that the person in front of you works for FEMA.
Other Cash App Scams to Be Wary Of
There are other scams that are run through Cash App other than the FEMA scam. Here are some of the most notable ones:
1. Cash-Flipping Scams
As the name suggests, there are scams that promise to flip your money so that you get more money.
Most scammers who run this devious play ask victims to send an initial fund. They often refer to that fund as a “clearance fee.”
As expected, victims send the initial fund and receive nothing in return.
2. Random Deposit Scams
Yes, there are scammers out there that attempt to gain your trust by sending you a random deposit first. The best way to deal with this scam is to ignore it and report it to Cash App.
You might be wondering, “Can’t I just withdraw the random deposit and use it?” You can, but the money could be linked to an illegitimate source, so withdrawing it could cause some problems in the future.
After a while, usually 40 days, the random deposit will disappear, and you won’t even receive a notification for it.
3. Cash App Fridays Scams
This scam is quite hard to recognize because the #CashAppFridays hashtag comes from the app itself. The company has a giveaway program that it promotes using the aforementioned hashtag.
Scammers have found a way to use that hashtag to defraud Cash App users. The scam involves creating fake accounts that message Cash App users, telling them that they’ve won and they need to provide their login credentials to claim a giveaway.
If you’re asked to provide your login credentials to make an initial payment, you’re looking at a scam. If you actually win in one of the app’s #CashAppFridays, you won’t be asked to send your credentials to claim your reward.
4. Customer Support Scams
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, yet it still seems to work with some people. In this scam, the scammer pretends to be one of Cash App’s customer support representatives or a CSR of any other company, and they’ll try to reach out to you via call, text, or message.
It’s important to note that Cash App doesn’t offer live customer support. It only has a support chat system.
So, if you get a call, text, or message from someone claiming to be a Cash App CSR, it’s a scam.
In Summary
It’s unfortunate that there are people out there trying to take advantage of what COVID-19 survivors are going through, but at the end of the day, scammers are going to scam!
Just keep in mind that FEMA would never use Cash App to send funds to survivors and that the agency would never solicit or accept money.
If you’ve fallen victim to the FEMA Cash App scam, be sure to dial the Disaster Fraud Hotline by dialing 1-866-720-5721 for help.
