The Federal Trade Commission said Americans should be wary if they receive a phone call regarding their stimulus check. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the US government issued $1,200 checks to millions of Americans with a number of businesses closed.

The FTC is warning that scammers could potentially try to trick you out of your personal information. The agency says that fraudsters rig caller ID to make the number appear to come from a government hotline.

“Government agencies usually will not call or email you — especially about something related to money. They almost always contact you by US mail,” the FTC said.

The IRS is sending letters to Americans as a confirmation for receiving the stimulus check.

The FTC says that scammers will claim to be calling over something such as Medicare, Social Security, or in this case, your stimulus check, and will ask for personal information to verify.

“If you get a call or email from the IRS or any government agency asking you for personal information or money, that’s a scam. Hang up the phone or delete the email,” the FTC said.

If you have questions about your stimulus check, you can call an IRS hotline at 800-919-9835.

The IRS said earlier this month that 159 million Americans have received a stimulus check. The IRS is still working on sending out the remaining checks to qualified Americans.

One day after President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion stimulus bill into law, the House of Representatives voted to increase direct payments to most Americans from $600 to $2,000 per person.

The bill had wide Democratic support, but failed to capture a majority of Republicans. The bill passed with just over two thirds of the House voting in approval.

The vote won the Democratic caucus by a 231-2 margin, Republicans voted 44-130 and independents voted 0-2.

The legislation now goes to the US Senate, where its future is in question. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who largely controls what legislation gets to the floor, has been mum on whether he’ll allow the CASH Act to get a vote.

Some Republicans in the Senate appear ready to back the proposal.

“I share many of my colleagues’ concern about the long-term effects of additional spending, but we cannot ignore the fact that millions of working-class families across the nation are still in dire need of relief,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said. “Congress should quickly pass legislation to increase direct payments to Americans to $2,000.”

Last week, Trump originally hinted he would not be supportive of signing the stimulus bill without changes. But with millions losing unemployment benefits and a number of hard-hit industries suffering, Trump signed the bill.

Meanwhile, Democrats pounced on the opportunity to increase stimulus payments to $2,000, a proposal that some Democrats called for early on in the pandemic.

As it stands now, most Americans making less than $75,000 a year will receive a $600 check ($1,200 for couples making under $150,000 a year).

"Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted minutes after Trump’s call for $2,000 checks. "At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 – Democrats are ready to bring this to the floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!"

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly took aim at the president on Twitter.

"We spent months trying to secure $2,000 checks, but Republicans blocked it," Schumer tweeted.

A group of progressive senators, led by Sens. Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris weighed $2,000 per month payments to Americans amid the pandemic. That plan ultimately went nowhere.

Until two weeks ago, direct payments were not part of the stimulus plan. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at the time that direct payments were "dead," and was focused on getting funds for the Paycheck Protection Program and enhanced unemployment passed. The varying levels of support for direct payments were enigmatic of the quarrels between the White House, House Democrats and Senate Republicans.

If the proposal to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 is signed, the overall cost of the stimulus bill would go from $900 billion to $1.36 trillion, according to House data released on Monday.

As some Americans begin receiving up to $600 in stimulus checks, the possibility of more direct payments is in limbo in the Senate Wednesday.

After the House on Monday night approved a standalone measure to increase direct payments from up to $600 per individual to $2,000, it then went to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked efforts Tuesday for a fast-tracked vote on the measure. In response, Senator Bernie Sanders blocked a planned vote to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a national defense bill until there is a vote on the direct payments.

Later in the day, McConnell suggested tying together votes on two bills later in the week; one on the House-passed bill to increase larger direct payments and one on a measure that would allow the $2,000 payments only if a commission to study election fraud is established and parts of Section 230 are repealed.

In signing the $900 billion COVID relief package along with the larger government funding bill on Sunday night, President Trump said he wanted larger direct payments, as well as an investigation into unfounded claims of election fraud. Earlier this month he vetoed the national defense bill because it did not make changes to Section 230, which provides protections for internet platforms and technology companies.

On Tuesday morning, McConnell had said the Senate would start the process to address those priorities from the president.

Many Democrats oppose connecting the issues together, and would likely vote against the broader measure, according to the Washington Post.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi held her weekly press conference Wednesday morning, and called on McConnell to allow a vote on the increased payments. When asked if she would take up the measure again next week after new members of Congress are sworn in, she repeated her hope for getting it done this year.

“Let’s be hopeful it happens this week. The sooner it happens the sooner they go out," Pelosi said, referring to the $2,000 stimulus checks.

The Senate is scheduled to be back in session Wednesday afternoon. It’s unclear whether there will be any movement or discussion about the larger direct payments or any plans for a vote at this time.

If the larger direct payment amount is approved, the Treasury Department would send Americans the difference.

White House says $1,400 individual checks to begin arriving this weekend

Updated: 7:41 PM EST Mar 12, 2021

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got some dark ways. Yeah, Mhm. Thank you for coming in. In the the weeks this bill has been discussed and debated, it's clear that an overwhelming percentage of the American people Democrats, independents or Republican friends have made it clear the people out there made it clear they strongly support the American rescue plan. Yesterday, with the final passage of the plan and the House of Representatives, their voices were heard reflect, reflected and everything we have in this bill, and I believe this is and most people I think do as well. This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation working people, middle class folks, uh, people who built the country a fighting chance. That's what the essence of it is. And I'm going to have a lot more to say about that tonight in the next couple of days and be able to take your questions. But in the meantime, what I'm gonna do is sign this bill and make the presentation tonight. Then there's plenty of opportunities. We're going to be on the road. Not only talking about what I'm talking about tonight is the impact on the virus and how we're going to end this pandemic. And we're gonna talk all the elements of the bill beginning Friday, Saturday through the week. So thank you for being here. Mhm. Thank you all. Appreciate it, is it? Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you? Thank you. You guys got rougher and okay, okay.

White House says $1,400 individual checks to begin arriving this weekend

Updated: 7:41 PM EST Mar 12, 2021

The White House says the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend.Press secretary Jen Psaki says the government will make the first direct deposits this weekend. She says payments will continue throughout the next several weeks.President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office on Thursday.Besides the $1,400 direct payments to individuals, the plan includes money to help distribute coronavirus vaccines, provide relief to homeowners and renters, help reopen schools, provide aid to state and local governments, and an expansion of the child tax credit, among other features.Officials at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Friday that processing of the new round of stimulus payments has already begun, with the aim of having the first payments start showing up in bank accounts this weekend.

The White House says the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend.

Press secretary Jen Psaki says the government will make the first direct deposits this weekend. She says payments will continue throughout the next several weeks.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office on Thursday.

Besides the $1,400 direct payments to individuals, the plan includes money to help distribute coronavirus vaccines, provide relief to homeowners and renters, help reopen schools, provide aid to state and local governments, and an expansion of the child tax credit, among other features.