Stimulus Bill a "Green Light" for Scammers
By: Steve Abel, Better Business Bureau
Updated: February 19, 2009
There’s just nothing like a huge pile of money to attract every scam artist in the world. The Economic Stimulus Act is barely signed and what’s sure to be a long list of scams has already popped up.
The US Small Business Administration has issued an alert warning business NOT to respond to letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the SBA asking for bank account information in order to qualify them for federal tax rebates.
The fraudulent letters were sent out with what appears to be an SBA letterhead. The fake letter advises recipients that they may be eligible for a tax rebate under the Economic Stimulus Act, and that the SBA is assessing their eligibility for such a rebate. The letter asks for the name and account number of their bank.
The letters have not been sent nor authorized by the SBA. DO NOT respond to the letters. If you have received any of these letters please contact the BBB for more information at 691-1533.
