Attorney General Phil Weiser has issued a consumer alert for scammers who may attempt to get Coloradans to share their bank account information while claiming it will help them receive their pending coronavirus relief payments.

“It’s important to remember that the federal government hasn’t issued a single stimulus check yet, and will not call you on the phone to ask for sensitive personal information,” Weiser said. “Anyone who calls claiming to be able to send money now – and asks for your personal information – is a scammer.”

The Federal Trade Commission elaborated that people are asking for bank account routing numbers to assist in delivering relief money. The agency warned consumers that scammers will try to rush a transaction, while “legit people don’t.”

As part of the $2.2 billion in economic relief that passed Congress last week, most Americans will receive up to $1,200 from the federal government. The Internal Revenue Service announced on Monday that it will distribute the payments within the next three weeks, and that recipients will need to take no action. Some senior citizens will need to file paperwork, however, if they do not normally complete a tax return.

The IRS will send the money directly to tax filers’ bank accounts whose information the agency already has, and will create an online portal for the remaining persons to provide that information if they wish to avoid receiving a check in the mail.