False claim of a program to help Hispanics pay off credit card debt | Fact check

Isabel C. Morales, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read

The claim: A government program for Hispanics provides thousands of dollars in credit card debt relief

[En Español: Falso: programa que ayude a hispanos a pagar sus deudas de tarjetas de crédito | Hechos]

A March 10 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a video of someone opening an envelope that appears to be from the Internal Revenue Service. The envelope contains documents, including a check purportedly signed by the Department of the Treasury.

“This 2024 Couldn't Start in a Better Way!" reads the post's caption in Spanish. "I managed to get rid of $24,475 in card debts! It was thanks to an Assistance Program for Hispanics!”

The post was shared more than 80 times in two weeks.

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Our rating: False

There is no evidence or credible news reports about such a program for Hispanics. The post making the claim directs users to a website unaffiliated with the U.S. government.

No law or program helps Hispanics pay credit card debts

The video shows what appears to be a letter from the IRS about the "Credit Card Relief Fund 2024," but there is no mention of such a program to assist Hispanics in paying credit card debts on the IRS website. There are likewise no credible news reports about the purported fund.

"The IRS has nothing to do with this," Alejandra Castro, a spokesperson for the IRS, said in an email to USA TODAY.

A link in the post brings users to a website unaffiliated with the U.S. government. A disclaimer on the website states it may be paid for clicks or sales from content on the website.

The IRS warns on its website that scammers may attempt to impersonate the IRS. It states the IRS will not contact taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.

The U.S. government did provide direct relief payments to Americans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of stimulus checks, but the last round of checks was sent in 2021.

USA TODAY fact-checked a similar false claim in January about a new law to cancel thousands of dollars of debts for Americans.

Fact check: Student debt relief will cost federal government hundreds of billions of dollars

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

UPDATE: This story has been updated with the response from the IRS spokesperson.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim of credit card relief program for Hispanics | Fact check