How to Identify the Most Common COVID Scams
Part of the pandemic’s “new normal” is the rise in COVID-related fraud. More than 200,000 Americans have lost about $ 145 million since the beginning of the year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Here are some of the common scams that take people by surprise.
Fake contact trackers
If you have been contacted about a possible COVID infection, make sure the person contacting you is a legitimate contact tracer. Contact tracing specialists working in government departments of health will contact you by phone, text, or mail with their name, agency and phone number. Ask:
- For your name and address
- On your date of birth
- For your location on specific dates
- Questions about whether you have experienced any symptoms
Contact tracers will never :
- Ask for payments or financial information.
- Ask for your Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance number.
- Ask for your social security number.
- Ask about your immigration status.
- Send you a text message or email with links.
- Threaten you.
Robo Calls
According to a recent survey, one in five people received a robotic call about COVID. These scam calls are pre-recorded messages from people claiming to be contact tracing or government agents such as the IRS or government health authorities. Callers typically falsely claim to be offering treatment, COVID testing, or financial assistance. In these messages, you will be asked to provide personal information or you will be prompted to press “1” on your phone, which will translate you into a real scammer.
If you receive such a call, do not press any buttons or hang up. Then report the call to the FTC at donotcall.gov .
Embedded links in texts, or “smile”
Police departments across the country have recently issued warnings about malicious text links, a form of phishing known as smishing. Recently, these texts have taken the form of bogus ” pending package” delivery notices, but scammers will also send in texts claiming to be government officials, technical support, financial institutions or contact trackers.
Clicking on a successful link attempts to retrieve your personal information or login details, usually through a fake login screen, impersonating the organization the fraudster claims represents. In some cases, clicking on these links will cause scammers to download malware onto your device.
Follow these tips to avoid this scam:
- Never follow links or download attachments from texts or emails without confirming the source. Beware of invitations from unknown senders.
- Avoid login screens in emails. Instead, open your browser and go to the site directly.
- A fake login page usually contains an unusual URL, broken links or buttons, and spelling errors in the instructions.
- Always think twice if asking for your personal information is appropriate.
- Ignore and delete emails with links written with poor grammar, confusing inconsistencies, and unusual formatting.
The FTC has more advice on how to report and prevent COVID-related fraud, but generally, if you’re not sure who you are contacting , you don’t click on links or attachments !