If you’re wondering where your $1200 stimulus check is, this might have happened to you: Your stimulus funds may have been sent to you on a debit card, and you may have pitched it into the trash. You’re not alone either – many others did not realize they needed to look for a debit card and threw their payment away.
This is because the debit card payment looked like junk mail or a scam. The envelope came from a random entity most people wouldn’t know, “Money Network Cardholder Services,” and didn’t mention the IRS or U.S. Treasury. The notice that came inside the envelope, should you have gotten that far, shows the official seal of the Department of Treasury.
The debit cards themselves were issued by MetaBank, a bank most people have never heard of. The letter gave activation instructions for the card; however, the website it asked people to visit for more information, EIPCard.com, isn’t as easily recognizable as a .gov address. No wonder some people thought it was a scam.
Therefore, many people might have thrown out their stimulus debit cards away on accident. This feels on par for the course that is 2020, more sand trap than green, with water features full of giant gators and water moccasins.
The good news is, you can request a replacement stimulus payment if you haven’t activated your debit card yet (they are good for up to three years from the time of issuance).
Here’s how:
The Treasury is mailing 788,000+ letters to everyone who should have received an economic impact payment debit card but hasn’t activated it yet. This time around, it will look like an official government letter. Keep an eye out for it if you think you may have lost or thrown out your debit card.
The National Consumer Law Center posted what to look for:
“These new letters, like the prepaid cards, are not a scam, though people should be aware of what they look like in case scammers try to impersonate them. The envelope can be viewed here and a sample letter is here.”
These new reminder letters will include the Treasury logo and will have clear wording on both the envelope and in the letter, that it is an official U.S. Department Treasury document. If you need to request a replacement card at no charge (for the first one), call customer service at 800-240-8100 (TTY: 800-241-9100) to report the card lost or stolen.
You’ll also see instructions that tell you to call customer service at 800-240-8100 (TTY: 800-241-9100) to report the card lost or stolen, or to get a replacement card. There is no fee for the first replacement card. Apparently the automated phone system and cashing your card in is a bit of a jumble, so the Washington Post also provided a helpful FAQ to guide you through the maze.
As if we needed more challenges during this painful pandemic. If you are one of the people waiting for your Economic Impact Payment, please call the 800 number to get it resolved. Hang in there.
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