We all know that scammers and
fraudsters are not ones to let a crisis go to waste. The COVID-19 crisis has
unleashed a tsunami of scams preying on the virus-related fears of many
Americans. The FCC, FTC, FEMA and the FBI are reporting a significant uptick in
text messages, emails and robocalls, offering fake cures or treatments and free
home testing kits.
Scammers are also capitalizing on
financial fears, using robocalls to offer bogus work-at-home opportunities,
student loan relief, debt consolidation, or falsely claiming to verify your
bank account details so the funds for your stimulus check can be direct
deposited.
The singular goal of all these
scammers is to gain access to your personal information, and they are relentless
in their efforts. Fortunately, the red flags are easy to spot and the steps to
avoid becoming a victim of a coronavirus scam are simple.
The government
will never contact you directly about your stimulus check. So, never respond to
texts, emails or calls about your check.
Government
organizations such as the CDC or WHO never communicate directly to consumers by
email, so delete any suspicious email. You can get the information you need by
going directly to their websites, such as coronavirus.gov and usa.gov/coronavirus.
There are no
proven cures or treatments for COVID-19 available to the public. So, ignore any
offers for these products.
Always ignore
or hang up on robocalls. They are illegal.
Legitimate
government agencies or businesses will never ask you to provide sensitive
personal information through an email, text message or phone call. So don’t do
it.
Never, ever
click on a link from a source you don’t know.
Be diligent
when considering a donation and never donate in cash, gift cards or money
transfers.
If you think you have been victimized by a COVID-19 scam, you can report it to National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721.