Emergencies bring out the best -- and the worst -- in a lot of people. The U.S. Attorney’s Office that authorities want people to be wary of coronavirus-related scams.
Some offer miracles cures or preventions, some want personal information claiming they can help you get your stimulus check faster. Cynthia Albert with the Better Business Bureau Louisiana says she’s heard it all.
“The con artists really increase their calls, emails, and we have been hearing about this,” she told WWL First News.
Albert says these scams usually follow similar patterns.
“They ask quite a bit of money up-front, of course, and then nothing comes in the mail,” she said.
Others offer to help you get your “government stimulus” money faster.
“The one that is saying you’re going to get a government check, immediately, so they want your bank account number so they can deposit it,” said Albert. “Of course, that’s not going to happen. Normally what happens in a situation like that with these con artists is they plunder your whole account.”
Some other examples of these schemes include:
- Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Malicious websites and apps that appear to share coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
- Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
- Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.
Federal prosecutors ask citizens to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 coronavirus by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline at (866) 720-5721 or emailing them at disaster@leo.gov.
Click here to find more about Department of Justice resources and information.
