The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times
AD
The Epoch Times
Policies & Impacts

People Used COVID-19 Stimulus Cash to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

A new report shows that many Americans used COVID-19 relief funds to pay off their credit card debt rather than for essentials such as food and shelter.
People Used COVID-19 Stimulus Cash to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
A man shows off some of his credit cards as he pays for items at Lorenzo's Italian Market in Miami, Florida, on May 20, 2009. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
11/1/2023|Updated: 11/2/2023
0:00

While it’s estimated that more than $280 billion in COVID-19 relief funding was stolen by fraudsters, a new report shows that many Americans used their stimulus checks to pay off their credit card debts.

The report, from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), revealed that the share of cardholders who paid off their credit card debt during the COVID-19 pandemic reached the highest in recent years.
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
twitter
Author’s Selected Articles
Iran Says It Closed Strait of Hormuz Again Over US Blockade
Apr 18, 2026
Iran Says It Closed Strait of Hormuz Again Over US Blockade
Iran Announces Strait of Hormuz Is Fully Open During Israel–Lebanon Ceasefire
Apr 17, 2026
Iran Announces Strait of Hormuz Is Fully Open During Israel–Lebanon Ceasefire
US Broadens Iran Blockade to Allow Boarding, Seizure of Ships Worldwide
Apr 16, 2026
US Broadens Iran Blockade to Allow Boarding, Seizure of Ships Worldwide
Trump Says No Iran Deal Unless Tehran Drops Nuclear Ambitions
Apr 15, 2026
Trump Says No Iran Deal Unless Tehran Drops Nuclear Ambitions
Related Topics
Fraud
Credit Cards
COVID-19 relief
AD
Add to My List
Save
The Epoch Times
Copyright © 2000 - 2026 The Epoch Times Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.