Don’t fall for this scam: the U.S. isn’t giving everyone $6,400

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, social media posts are claiming the United States is sending everyone thousands of dollars with no strings attached.

But don’t load your shopping cart just yet — this is a scam.

A Nov. 16 Facebook video showed people celebrating and displaying phone screens showing hefty sums in bank accounts. The caption read, "The secret free $6,400 you can get right now!"

"The U.S. is sending everyone a free $6,400 right now. You get this payout in under 48 hours and it’s completely free," the video’s narrator said. "Hit that ATM up, get that car you want, take your wifey on a shopping spree or just save it."

(Screengrab from Facebook)

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

Misleading posts promising free and fast money are common on social media platforms. PolitiFact has debunked similar claims in the past.

The Facebook post says to receive the free $6,400, people can click the link below the video that leads to "an official U.S. website," answer two questions and talk to a representative.

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stated on August 21, 2018 in in a blog post

"California lawmakers are planning to push free abortion pills on all students across the state as part of a ‘super progressive’ new policy."

However, the link leads to a webpage with the URL "carerewardsplus.com" that’s not affiliated with the U.S. government. The site says "not found." When we typed in another URL that’s displayed on the post, advantagecareplans.com, we were redirected to carerewardsplus.com. 

We searched and did not find any news articles or U.S. government announcements about a $6,400 giveaway.

The federal government warns that offers of free money or grants from the government are often scams. Government-funded financial assistance programs are only offered through official government websites.

The Federal Trade Commission’s website offers tips on how to avoid these scams and where to report them.

PolitiFact found no evidence the U.S. is sending everyone $6,400 payments. We rate this claim False.