Watch Out for Corona Virus Scams

by Linda Jacob 

According to the Federal Trade Commission, as of April 30, 2020, there were nearly 32,000 fraud complaints about Corona Virus scams.  These came at a loss of nearly $22 million.  In order to protect yourself and your family from these unscrupulous scammers, be on the lookout for the following:

Medical Related Scams:  There is no cure or vaccine that has been developed yet.  If a company is offering any of these, it’s a scam.  The government will let us know as soon as one is available. Do not spend any money on these.  Avoid or ignore offers for vaccinations and test kits.

They will approach you by Robocalls, emails, and texts.  They will make it look and sound very official.  Don’t click on any links as it is most likely going to send you to a malware site as a way to get your personal identification information.  Stick to known, trusted sites.

Stimulus Check Scams:  The government will never ask you to pay money up front.  They will never ask you for your social security number or credit card number.  If someone is asking for this information in order to get a stimulus check, it is a scam.  Don’t give it to them.  The FTC says that anyone who tells you they can get you money NOW is a scammer.

Charity Scams: Make sure you research the charity thoroughly before donating.  Unfortunately, scammers take advantage of kind hearted individuals in order to line their own pockets.  Look up the charity at FTC.gov/charity for the ratings and the report.  Also, never pay by cash, gift card, or wire transfer.

Go with your gut feeling.  If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Do your homework, ask lots of questions, and protect your identity and your wallet.  If you see a scam, report it to ftc.gov/complaint.