NEW ORLEANS — If you're still waiting for your stimulus check from the government, make sure that you didn't throw it with your junk mail. Last Monday, the U.S. Department of Treasury and IRS began sending the money by prepaid debit cards. Several people almost threw their cards in the trash nearly mistaking them for junk mail.
"It's just another piece of junk mail, is what I thought," said Carolyn Cristofalo.
With the rest of her junk mail, a debit card inside a plain envelope from "Money Network Cardholder Services" has been sitting on Carolyn Cristofalo's counter for days.
"You get so many things that are fraud," she said. It didn't seem legit to me."
She was about to toss it, but luckily her neighbor, Rita Legrand, called her Tuesday letting her know she surprisingly received her stimulus money on a prepaid debit card.
"I found it in the mailbox and I said oh look at this! I opened it up and it was a debit card. I didn't know we were supposed to get debit cards," Legrand said.
The U.S. Department of Treasury announced last week, it is sending nearly 4 million people debit cards instead of paper checks to get the money delivered faster. It will come in a plain white envelope from Money Network Cardholder Services with an Omaha, Nebraska return address. Inside you'll find a debit card with blue stars and a piece of paper that says 'Enclosed is your Economic Impact Payment Card.'
"Now I have it in my bank account," Legrand said.
If you're not sure where your stimulus money is, you can track it through the IRS website HERE.
If you're pretty sure you threw it out or lost it, call 1-800-240-8100 from The Money Network website.
Keep in mind, there could be fees withdrawn for some transactions. Click HERE for details about when you may have to pay fees.
Here are tips to avoid fees:
- Make signature or PIN-debit purchases anywhere Visa® Debit Cards are accepted — in stores, online or over the phone.
- Get cash back with a PIN debit purchase, where available.
- Get cash from surcharge-free In-Network ATMs Nationwide that carry the AllPoint® brand.
- Transfer funds to a personal bank account.
- Please refer to the material in your Welcome Packet or see your Cardholder Agreement online at EIPCard.com to find more ways to use your Card without a fee.
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