PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The Scioto County Emergency Management Agency is warning residents about a social media scam falsely claiming FEMA is paying $2,800 to people who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a post Friday, the agency said it has seen posts and messages claiming the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized a one-time $2,800 payment for pandemic-era work. FEMA has not authorized any such payment, the agency said.
The EMA urged residents not to click on links in the posts, not to provide personal, financial or banking information, and not to share the posts further. Anyone who receives one of the messages should delete it and report it as spam, the agency said.
“Protect yourself. Protect your information. When in doubt, don’t click,” the agency said.
Claims that FEMA authorized a $2,800 hazard-pay check for essential workers who were on the job during the pandemic have circulated periodically on social media since 2020. FEMA has said no such federal hazard-pay program exists and that the agency has never directly paid individuals a lump sum for pandemic-era work.
The Scioto County Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security office coordinates mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts for natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other emergencies in the county. The agency operates out of an Emergency Operations Center on Sixth Street in Portsmouth.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Scioto County Emergency Management Agency.
