Beware of Coronavirus Scams
Not only do we have to worry about catching the coronavirus, we now have to worry about being caught up in any scams associated with it. Nothing makes me sicker to my stomach than heartless people taking advantage of fear and uncertainty. The FBI has started seeing an influx in people trying to steal money with emails, texts, and phone calls referring to charities, donations, test kits, virus insurance, medical equipment, and stimulus checks and even work-from-home schemes.. I recently received this email and although it seems really far-fetched, someone could fall for this.
For your protection, DO NOT:
- Click on any links
- Answer any emails
- Answer texts
- Let down your guard
Senator John Cornyn warned people about scammers calling people promising free COVID-19 testing. He says this is not real. Also, people are calling claiming they are from the CDC offering to “reserve a vaccine” with your financial help. There is no vaccine reserve program, and the CDC is not offering anything of the sort.
Ways To Protect Yourself From Coronavirus Scams
Criminals monitor your activity. Always be careful when doing business online or giving out personal information.
Be vigilant and extremely cautious when you receive emails or texts:
- Check email addresses carefully to make sure the address matches the agency or company the sender claims to represent.
- Look for misspelled words or bad grammar.
- Independently verify the information by going to the official government website, corporate sites or news sites.
- Never provide personal information. to someone you haven’t thoroughly checked out.
For more information, check out the FBI’s website that specifically addresses COVID-19 scams as well as a place to file complaints.