Coronavirus Scams to Look Out For

As the world deals with the ramifications of COVID-19, many scammers and fraudsters are taking advantage of these confusing, vulnerable, and anxiety-ridden times to run multiple coronavirus scams. They are using various scamming tools, such as bogus cures sent via emails, phishing emails, and financial fraud, to trick people into giving out their personal information or money to them. The best way to protect yourself from such scams is to become aware of them and keep an eye out for them.

So, let’s take a look at some COVID-19 scams you need to be aware of:

3 Coronavirus Scams to Watch Out for

Here are three coronavirus scams that you need to be wary of:

1. False Vaccine Claims and Fake Cures

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers have been targeting unsuspecting individuals with numerous pitches for fake cures and vaccines for the virus. The best way to detect such a scam is to look out for the following signs:

Ads for vaccines in emails, phone calls, websites, and social media posts
Requests to pay for an exorbitant amount out of your pocket to get on a vaccine waiting list or receive a shot
Shady marketers offering to ship doses of coronavirus vaccines to your location

Scammers are selling various essential oils, teas, intravenous vitamin-C therapies, cannabinol, and more such products as apparent cures for the virus. Some con artists are even using fake COVID-19 antibody tests to attract potential buyers and use their personal information for health insurance scams or identity thefts.

2. Financial Scams

The economic relief package from the government is expected to boost unemployment benefits and deliver stimulus checks to millions of US citizens. This pandemic aid will likely bring with it a fresh wave of coronavirus scams and scammers who will try to steal these government payments.

You must watch out for emails, texts, or calls from people posing to be government agents. These fraudsters will likely ask you to pay a small fee, click on a link, or provide your personal data, such as your Social Security Number, in return for your stimulus check.

Additionally, some scammers use social media messaging apps to send promising messages to you “COVID-19 relief grants.” They might also impersonate lenders and banks, offering bogus help with credit card debt, pending bills, or student loans.

3. Phishing Scams

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in targeted phishing campaigns, as scammers and fraudulent companies tried to capitalize on the fear and anxiety felt by the public during the outbreak. Since the beginning of last year, tens of thousands of new website domains cropped up with terms related to COVID-19 and its response, such as “vaccine,” “quarantine,” and more.

Even though the Justice Department shut down hundreds of such websites, more of them keep getting registered every day. If you contact such a domain, you might get phishing emails from the fraudsters who own it as they try to get your personal information or plant malware into your device to gain access to your stored data.

Some scammers send out emails and text messages that have surveys about COVID-19. They make it seem like these surveys are from legitimate companies, such as Moderna and Pfizer. They typically demand your personal information in return for a reward.

Many scammers are also impersonating contact tracers and sending urgent warning emails suggesting that you’ve been exposed to the virus. These emails or texts typically include a link that will download malware to your device if you click on it. Messages from actual contact tracers don’t include any such fake links.

Now that you know all about the coronavirus scams fraudsters are using to dupe unsuspecting individuals, you must protect yourself against them. Practice constant vigilance and if you suspect a company or individual involved in a COVID-19 scam, make sure to reach out to FraudTrac to report them today. This way, you can keep yourself and your fellow American citizens safe from these scammers!