COVID-19 FRAUD

FBI & DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WARN OF COVID-19 FRAUD

From January 1 until April 30, 2020, the FTC has received 18,235 reports related to COVID-19, and people reported losing $13.44 million dollars to fraud.

Current Scams to exploit COVID-19: FAKE CURES, VACCINES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, OR HOME TESTING KITS FOR COVID-19 

HEALTHCARE FRAUD SCHEMES – Be cautious of unsolicited healthcare testing and treatment through emails, phone calls, or in person. Watch out for emails claiming to be from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), or experts saying they have information about the virus.  Delete fake emails claiming to be from the CDC or WHO that contain links that, if clicked on, allow fraudsters to steal your information. 

WORK FROM HOME SCHEMES – Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the high number of individuals who have been laid off.  These criminals have created seemingly legitimate websites posing as charity or other organizations who are looking to hire people to work from home and will even register these sites with the Better Business Bureau to appear real.  The websites are thorough and detailed and look legitimate – fraudsters are copying the websites of real businesses and organizations and posting job descriptions on sites like monster.com or indeed.com.

HANG UP ON ROBOCALLS - Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from low-priced health insurance to work-at-home schemes.  The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls, instead.  Never press any numbers during the robocall.

PHONE CALLS TO BE WARY OF – Many consumers are receiving phone calls from Apple & Microsoft offering a warranty or stating they have identified an issue with the consumer’s computer.  Once they gain access to your computer, they infect files and obtain all data.

Online sellers claiming to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, health, and medical supplies when, in fact, they do not. 

Consumers are being notified that a family member is in jail in Mexico because they caused an accident and need funds to pay the other party.

FTS FRAUD CATEGORIES 1ST QUARTER 2020

Top 10 Fraud Categories                                                  # of Reports                           Total $ Loss

1  Imposter Scam                                                               80,150                                        $157.4M

2 Telephone & Mobile Services                                       60,967                                        $72.5M

3 Online Shopping                                                              47,372                                        $38.7M

4 Internet Services                                                             21,225                                        $21.4M

5 Prizes, Sweepstakes                                                        15,526                                        $26.3M

6 Foreign Money Orders/Checks                                       9,635                                        $11.3M

7 Travel, Vacations & Timeshares                                     9,220                                         $26.0M

8 Business & Job Opportunities                                        6,914                                          $27.3M

9 Health Care                                                                       4,683                                          $1.1M

10 Advance Payments                                                        2,783                                          $4.5M

To learn more about current Fraud Schemes, and how you can protect yourself, you can visit: 

https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200320.asp

https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice