The message hit Mason’s phone just after dawn: “The $2,000 Trump payment is out. Check the list to see if your name is on the list.” No sender ID, no metadata he recognized, just a blunt line that read like a cross between a political blast and a low-grade phishing attempt. He stared at it while the coffee maker rattled behind him. He wasn’t the type to chase stimulus rumors or scroll for payout updates, but the language was calibrated—“payment,” “list,” “eligibility,” all terms that trigger the financial survival instinct in people whether they realize it or not. He tried...
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