Scammers take advantage of pandemic
By Kathy Thomson
According to Shackelford County sheriff Ed Miller, everyone needs to be aware that scammers are using the current -COVID-19 pandemic to try and con people out of money and personal information.
“We haven’t had any cases here in the county that have been reported to us,” said Miller. “But we have sent out an alert on our Facebook page to give people a heads up on some of the scams that are out there.”
According to the sheriff, if someone thinks they are or have been scammed in a face-to-face situation, they should call and report it to local law enforcement.
“They can call 9-1-1 and we’ll deal with it,” sheriff Miller said. “But if they are being tricked out of their money and/or their personal information by robocalls or internet scams, we usually can’t do anything about it. Most of those come from outside of the country, and there is nothing we can do to get their money back.”
The best offense to the scams is a good defense.
“People need to be aware not to send out money or information,” said Miller. “There are people out there trying to take advantage of everything and everybody.
Some of the “red flags” that are often associated with scams include urgency (you must act now), scarcity (there is a limited supply), social consensus (everyone else is doing it), and credible sources (we are part of a reputable organization).
Fake Stimulus Check
According to information from Miller, the top COVID-19 scam is a fake stimulus check.
In this scam, the bad guys send out a realistic looking check that appears to be from the government, then they call to say that it was inadvertently made out for too much money.
The callers then ask the recipient to send them the difference before depositing the check into their account. However, the bogus check is worthless and will be declined, leaving the check holder out whatever amount of money they sent to the crooks.
More Scams
Scammers or fraudulent companies often use illegal robocalls to pose as the IRS or Medicare. Those who receive a robocall should hang up.
Some scammers are calling or knocking on doors while wearing white lab coats or hazmat gear. They then claim to be with the Center for Disease Control and try to sell the resident fake at-home coronavirus test kits. Alternately they may try and convince the homeowner to purchase fake cures, vaccines, and/or medical advice.
In the supply scam, the scammers create a website, fake shop, social media account, and/or email address and offer to sell medical supplies like surgical masks and other personal protective equipment. They pocket the money sent, but do not provide the items ordered.
Provider scammers contact the potential victim, typically by email or phone, and claim that one of the victim’s friends or relatives owes the scammers money for treatment for COVID-19.
Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas impacted by coronavirus. However, the money the charity scammers collect goes to line their own pockets, not to help out true victims.
Phishing scammers send emails that appear to come from the World Health Organization, the CDC, or other official agencies hoping that the recipient will download malware onto their device or will provide personal and financial information.
Con artists have created mobile apps that claim to track the spread of coronavirus but actually steal personal and financial information from the installer.
Scammers may try to develop a friendship or romantic relationship in order to gain the victim’s trust and obtain their personal and financial information.
SBA Loan Tips
Beware of emails that claim to be from the government, but do not end in .gov.
There is no cost to apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan.
The Small Business Administration will never ask for credit card information.
Do not release any private information or banking information to any unsolicited caller, letter, email, or text.
If contacted by someone from the SBA, suspect fraud, even if it seems to have the correct logo.
Check for spelling and grammatical errors.
Do not click onto links or attachments from unknown sources.
Trust your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true, according to the SBA.
To contact the SBA for help with an Economic Injury Disaster Loan call 800-659-2955 or email them at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
