Scam offers 'free' stimulus money

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot alerted residents on Wednesday to an online scheme that phishes for tax filing information and offers to get people “free money” from the “special stimulus program.”

The scam targets poor and elderly taxpayers who receive public assistance or draw from Social Security — those who wouldn’t ordinarily file tax returns. Victims are typically contacted by a fake company called “Human Services Associates LLC,” which offers to file their tax returns and deliver them government-issued checks.