Coronavirus Scams and You – April 1, 2020
Sadly, whenever we experience a natural disaster, scams proliferate. The COVID-19 crisis is no exception.
The FTC has warned Americans to beware of potential scams.
- Ignore robocalls pitching fraudulent COVID-19 treatments, unproven test kits, and vaccinations. Hang up and don’t press numbers to be removed from a call list. That may only invite more calls.
- Ignore text messages that claim to speed up stimulus checks.
- Be leery of any emails claiming to be from the CDC or the World Health Organization. Think about it – how did they get your email?
- On the same note, always be suspicious of links in such emails as they likely contain malware or are phishing scams designed to trick you into providing usernames and passwords.
- The SEC has warned of a proliferation of investment scams that include fraudulent claims of a vaccine or cure. The criminal’s goal – encourage you to invest in these companies that they claim will soar in value.
Investor’s corner
The list is not all-inclusive, but use common sense since the potential for fraud is higher than ever.
We are living in uncertain times. While I am confident the pandemic will peak and recede, uncertainty breeds fear, and there are criminals all over the world ready to cash in on your fear.
Coincidentally, this article is dated April 1. Please be careful that you don’t become the victim of an expensive April Fool’s Day scam.
Created 2020-04-01 14:41:43