A new round of stimulus payments means a surge in scammers, trying to cash in.

The Better Business Bureau is warning of another attempt by scammers to use the government's stimulus payments to bilk people out of their money. And, as usual, they're pretty sneaky, with several ways to try and catch residents off-guard.

In one scenario, they call on the phone and claim to be from a government agency. They may insist that you need to pay a downpayment in order to receive your funds. This is a lie. In other cases, the scammers are claiming that they need more personal information from the victim, or that they need to 'confirm' financial information. This is also a lie. If the call seems legitimate, hang up and then look up the agency's phone number on its website to call them back. Do NOT use the number showing up on caller ID, or any number given to you by the caller. Scams are also being sent out via email or text message, that will encourage you to 'click a link' in order to 'request benefit payments.' Don't do it. This is just another phishing scheme to try and gain your financial information.

Staying calm is important, in these situations. Scammers feed on people's panic and will try to pressure them into quick decisions. Never let yourself get pressured into revealing personal/financial information. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And it's never a good idea to give personal and financial information over the phone, especially when you didn't initiate the call.

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