Coronavirus stimulus checks reportedly get sent to dead people

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

Stimulus checks the government promised to millions of Americans during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic began arriving Wednesday – including some for people who are no longer living, multiple reports said.

Now, those relatives are wondering what to do, the report said.

“Will they want the $1,200 back?” a widow whose husband died last year asked on Twitter after she received the full $2,400 payment for married couples.

Government stimulus checks to help during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic were direct deposited in bank accounts of some US citizens on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - including some dead people's accounts, reports said. (iStock)

Government stimulus checks to help during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic were direct deposited in bank accounts of some US citizens on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 – including some dead people’s accounts, reports said. (iStock)

On Wednesday afternoon, the Internal Revenue Service website didn’t have guidelines for the payments sent in error to the deceased.

GYM FRANCHISE OWNER: COVID-19 STIMULUS ‘NOT WORKABLE’ FOR OUR INDUSTRY

Back in 2009, the Obama administration passed a $13 billion economic stimulus package to combat the Great Recession with about 89,000 checks worth $250 each sent to dead and incarcerated people, The Atlantic reported.

A 2010 audit by the Office of the Inspector General and the Social Security Administration found 71,688 of those checks went to the deceased. But 41,000 checks issued at that time in error were returned, The Wall Street Journal reported.

GYM FRANCHISE OWNER: COVID-19 STIMULUS ‘NOT WORKABLE’ FOR OUR INDUSTRY

Spending Social Security money issued to someone else is illegal in the U.S. — but is “rarely prosecuted for small amounts,” the report said.

“At least one person has been prosecuted for cashing a stimulus check not issued to them, in one of the few accusations of stimulus fraud to date,” the Journal reported in 2010.

To ensure fraud is kept to a minimum, the SSA consults what’s known as the “Death Master File” to prevent identity fraud.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

However, a 2010 audit found some deaths were reported after the administration certified the stimulus payments, and the SSA “relied on questionable data” or failed to review all available records — such as the “Numident for death information,” which is used to compile the Death Master File.

Approximately $12 million in mistaken payments from 2009 was never returned, the Journal reported.

Leave a Reply

Your compare list

Compare
REMOVE ALL
COMPARE
0

Main Menu