Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the presidential election has led to a spike in social media posts claiming that Americans are set to receive a new batch of stimulus checks from the federal government just as the holiday season approaches.
The posts, many of which promise readers $2,000 or more in state handouts, are sparking conversation on X and other platforms.
But, unfortunately, they are completely false.
President Joe Biden’s administration has made no such pledge to dole out new stimulus checks and nor did the president-elect on the campaign trail.
Trump has not even nominated a candidate to be his incoming administration’s treasury secretary yet and he will not be sworn in to take office in the White House until January 20 2025 in any case.
In a statement on its website debunking claims of further payouts, the Internal Revenue Service said of its earlier coronavirus assistance checks: “The IRS has issued all first, second, and third Economic Impact Payments.
“You can no longer use the Get My Payment application to check your payment status. Most eligible people have already received their Economic Impact Payments.”
The false rumor comes after exit polls on November 5 revealed that the state of the economy was the biggest concern to almost one third of voters, with Trump running on wild claims including that he will end inflation within six days of taking office.
Stimulus checks were issued by the first Trump administration at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Many will remember Trump courting notoriety over the lockdown checks issued in April 2020 when he delayed the rollout in order to ensure his name and signature were printed along the memo line, an unprecedented move that he hoped would boost his popularity in an election year.
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel advised against relying on social media platforms for financial information in a statement of his own this April.
“Social media is an easy way for scammers and others to try encouraging people to pursue some really bad ideas, including ways to magically increase your tax refund,” Werfel said.
“There are many ways to get good tax information, including @irsnews on social media and from trusted tax professionals.”
He continued: “People should be careful with who they’re following on social media for tax advice.
“Unlike hacks to fix a leaky kitchen sink or creative makeup tips, people shouldn’t rely on made-up ways on social media to patch up their tax return and boost their refund.”
The new posts are only the latest example of scams centered around the promise of non-existent stimulus checks.
In June, a Facebook post was circulated widely claiming that all American adults aged over 25 were entitled to a $500 “stimulus card”, which was quickly identified and exposed as false.
