(Boulder County, Colo.) -- District Attorney Michael Dougherty advises Boulder County community members to be aware that scammers are exploiting the US government stimulus relating to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. These scams include the following:

• Asking people to “sign up” to receive stimulus money or “verify” personal or financial information to receive stimulus money
• Setting up fake websites or social media posts charging a fee to “speed up” receipt of stimulus money
• Sending fake checks and asking the recipient to send excess money to the scammer
• Sending fake information appearing to come from the US government, saying a person must provide tax information, Social Security benefit information, or complete the census in order to receive stimulus money
• Setting up fake charities asking for donations from stimulus money received.

The Community Protection Division (CPD) of the District Attorney’s Office advises community members to be alert to these scams, and offers the following suggestions to help prevent losing money or revealing personal information:

• You will not need to verify any information to receive stimulus money
• You will not have to pay any fees to receive stimulus money
• No government agency will send messages asking you to fill out information to receive stimulus money
• No government agency will require you to go online or call after receiving your stimulus money, nor require you to send any portion of the money back
• Do not click on links in unsolicited emails, or from sources you don’t know: these can lead to fake websites or even steal personal information from your computer.
• Do your homework before donating: verify that a charitable organization is legitimate by contacting the Colorado Secretary of State’s office or CPD.

The District Attorney’s Office is providing a flyer in English and Spanish as a quick reference guide to help protect the community against stimulus scams.

The District Attorney’s Office remains committed to serving and protecting the community 24/7 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CPD is active and available to assist: call CPD at 303-441-3700 with questions or to report a scam, or send an email to: daconsumer@bouldercounty.org.