Many Americans have started to see the latest round of stimulus checks flow into their bank account after President Joe Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan last week.
However, one group may be left out of receiving the free cash. Debt collectors are apparently ready to snap up your checks if you owe them.
Dee Hemsley said she has been locked out of her Wells Fargo bank account, which is now empty of the unemployment benefits she had been collecting.
"The debt collectors are freezing accounts because they want to take the stimulus money," Hemsley said.
Financial experts say it is possible.
Congress passed the American Rescue Plan under a budget reconciliation leaving the payments open to private debt collectors for things like credit card, medical or student loan debts.
"We were not able to protect that because of the technicalities on how we passed the bill," U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, said.
With no protection, people like Hemsley are now subject to losing the $1,400 as soon as it hits their frozen accounts.
