Unfortunately while this pandemic has shown a lot of communities uniting and people making sacrifices for the greater good, it has also shown the dark side of our society. There are a lot of people taking advantage of the fear and uncertainty of these times to scam people.
Scammers are using the uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 crisis to attempt to steal your personal and financial information. Here’s what you need to know (and do) to stay as safe as possible:
PHISHING FOR INFORMATION If you receive an email, text, or call asking for personal information for anything related to the COVID 19 pandemic do not answer any questions, provide account, or social security information.FAKE PRODUCTS Be wary of listings or advertisements offering high demand items like face masks and hand sanitizer at a reduced price. If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Stick with reputable retailers who will stand behind their sales as well as the quality of their products.
DONATE WISELY During times like this, fraudsters will prey on the people’s desire to help their communities and fellow neighbors in need. If you receive a solicitation to donate money to a cause, don’t just let your heart decide. Research to ensure you are donating to legitimate charities, so you can be confident that your money is going where it is needed the most.
STIMULUS PAYMENT SCAMS This is a common one. If you are contacted to “verify” personal information to sign up or apply to receive your Economic Impact Payment (stimulus check), do not offer your information. Visit the IRS website to get accurate information on these payments and to securely provide any personal information that may be needed to process your check.
WORK-FROM-HOME OPPORTUNITIES With a record number of Americans unemployed, it’s a prime opportunity for scammers to offer hope to bridge the financial gap. Most of these opportunities are too good to be true and a gateway to gain access to your bank account either through “direct deposit” information they need for your payments or bank info they need for “start up costs” .
What you need to do: If you do receive a call, email, or text message that seems suspicious:
Do not engage with the scammers.
Do not click on any links or provide any personal information.
Delete the email or text message right away.
If you are unsure, contact the business or charity directly to confirm they reached out to you
If you receive any notification from websites that you normally use (amazon, ebay, paypal, banks, credit cards) and they are requesting any information or a reply to the email DO NOT! Instead, log in to the secure website as you normally would and check for notification their or call the bank/CC with the numbers on your card not in the email/notification to see if they legitimately requested the information.
