A video going around falsely says that 97 percent of Americans can get a $6,400 stimulus package from U.S. President Joe Biden. A track that sounds like Biden’s voice is used in the video, which has been widely shared on social media sites like Facebook.
It urges people to sign up for a “spending card” that has $6,400 loaded on it. On the other hand, there is no proof that such a program exists.
The video says that the program is open to all Americans, does not need to be paid back, and comes with a health plan that costs nothing.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Jenna Valle-Riestra, said there are not any new stimulus payments like the one shown in the video.
“Any type of program like that would require legislation from Congress,” she told us.
Stimulus payments, like those given out during the COVID-19 pandemic, are actions approved by the government to help people who are having a hard time financially.
The most recent of these payments, called “economic impact payments,” were made during the pandemic and needed approval from Congress.
Identifying misinformation
The Facebook pages that are sharing this video falsely say that they work for federal government agencies. People are led astray by these pages’ false claims, which often do not have official government links or credentials that have been checked out.
For instance, one page calls itself a “insurance agent” but does not give any other information or a website, which is a red flag.
The U.S. government says that online scams that offer “free money” are very common. To avoid being fooled, officials say to check out federal assistance programs on official government websites.
