Real settlement checks never ask for money first
Cash App's CFPB checks are landing in mailboxes now — and so are the look-alike scams. Here is how to tell a real settlement payment from a fake one.
Millions of Cash App users are receiving compensation checks this summer under a CFPB consent order — mailed automatically, no claim form, no fee. Whenever a program like this makes the news, scammers follow with fake emails and texts that copy it.
The copycats have one thing in common: they ask you to do something first. Pay a fee. Verify your PIN. Click a link and sign in. Real programs never do any of that.
The rules that never bend
No legitimate settlement, refund program, or government agency will ever ask for a payment, a gift card, a password, a PIN, or a sign-in code to release money to you. Filing a claim is always free, and automatic payments require nothing at all.
If a message creates urgency — 'claim expires tonight,' 'verify now' — treat that as a warning sign, not a reason to hurry.
How to verify a payment notice
Do not use the links or phone numbers in the message itself. Find the official settlement or program website independently — we link only to official administrator and government pages from our records — and compare the program name, administrator, and deadlines.
For the Cash App program specifically, the official channels are the CFPB's enforcement page for Block, Inc. and the program site run by Epiq, the administrator. A real check is a paper check you deposit like any other; anything asking you to 'unlock' it online is fake.
Official sources
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. We do not file claims, and filing on the official administrator or government site is always free. If anything here disagrees with an official notice, the official notice controls.
Related records
Cash App (Block) CFPB redress payments
If you used Cash App between July 1, 2019 and January 16, 2025 and were affected by its historical dispute-handling or fraud practices, you may be eligible for an automatic…
- Deadline
- See official notice
- Covers
- Jul 1, 2019 – Jan 16, 2025
- Amount
- Varies — paid automatically, no claim form
FTC active refund programs (official index)
If you did business with a company on the FTC refunds chart, you may be eligible for a refund. Most cases do not require a claim because defendants already provided customer…
- Deadline
- See official notice
- Amount
- Varies — paid automatically, no claim form
Check what you may be eligible for
A short quiz compares your profile to the records we track. Free, and never legal advice.