The coronavirus pandemic is bringing out the worst in some people.
Indeed, scammers are coming out in droves to separate people from their money. Scammers are posing as representatives of the IRS, or Social Security, or Medicare — and the list goes on.
The scammers are offering, among other things, fake COVID-19 tests; free or reduced cost toilet paper, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and personal protective equipment; vaccinations and cures for COVID-19; coronavirus-related health and life insurance pitches; and faster receipt of stimulus checks.
Fortunately, government agencies and other entities are rising to the challenge and sending out alerts to help people protect themselves against phone and email scams. You can read more about these scams at the CDC’s website, COVID-19-Related Phone Scams and Phishing Attacks | CDC Online Newsroom; the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website, Protecting your finances during the Coronavirus Pandemic, and AARP’s website, Scam, Fraud Alerts – Protect Your Digital Identity.
And you can sign up to receive scam-related alerts from the Federal Trade Commission, Stay Connected.
In the meanwhile, contact your local police department or your state’s attorney general if you are a victim of a coronavirus-related scam.