I got the stimulus check, but it almost went to the trash because of an envelope that doesn't look official

Correspondence from the Treasury Department with the check in the form of a debit card may be confused with “scam”

Photo: Impremedia

This Wednesday the government’s financial aid arrived at my house . Alfonso, the tireless postal worker who works in our neighborhood, put the envelope from the Department of the Treasury, among several typical pieces of correspondence, in the mailbox.

Two hours later, my wife left He walked over to my desk to show me the stimulus check in the form of a debit card . The piece of mail was about to go to the trash – to the recyclable paper box to be exact – but first she opened the envelope and was surprised: it seemed to be the financial aid that for so many months has been in the news.

My wife, who is very methodical, did a Google search to make sure that the material we received was indeed the famous $ 600 dollars, or in this case $ 1, 200 as it is a married couple filing joint taxes.

My first reaction to seeing the correspondence is that it did not seem “very official”, that it lacked visual elements: a white envelope of thin paper with a legend in red that says: “Not a bill or an advertisement. Important information about your Economic Impact Payment ” (This is not an invoice or an advertisement. Important information about your Economic Impact Payment).

Inside the envelope was the VISA debit card with the names of the beneficiaries, whose design includes some stars on a blue background, like a fragment of the United States flag. It is worth mentioning that last year the financial aid came to us via direct deposit .

This is the reality: the correspondence does not necessarily seem “scam”, but it is not super recognizable if you -like me- have not read an article or publication showing the presentation of the envelope.

Also, the Treasury Department logo is not printed on the envelope, but viewed through a window, and is so small that it is impossible to read . Even the annexed address of Omaha, Nebraska, can add confusion.

Among so many letters that one receives daily , this with the stimulus check debit card is not distinguished by its presentation and I think that unfortunately there will be few beneficiaries who by mistake get rid of the valuable correspondence .

In conclusion, if you are waiting for the check, my suggestion is to pay close attention to postal mail. My other suggestion is to find the smartest way to make the money work, which, given the circumstances of the pandemic, is not enough. There are good ideas on this website.

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