Here is a reprint of an newsletter article from a friend of mine, Charmaine Conaghan, owner of Always Best Care:
There is a significant spike in scams capitalizing on the fear and anxiety wrought by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Never, ever provide your personal information to someone calling, texting, or emailing you. And UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE will a government agency call you and ask you for personal information or money.
Here are a few examples and some warnings of what is being reported:
- Google is blocking over 18 million phishing emails related to Coronavirus a day, in what has been referred to as a Phishing Pandemic. Beware of links, even from someone you know, unless you are expecting the information. (FYI - phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails pretending to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.)
- There have been multiple reports of text message campaigns and robocalls offering COVID home-testing kits, bogus cures, health insurance "Coronavirus package" scams, and much more.
- One particularly vicious brand of scam is the Blackmail Scam, in which the fraudster threatens to infect "every member of your family with the coronavirus" and promises they know "every dirty little secret of your life". They may even allude to something that appears to be accurate.
- Scammers call posing as charitable organizations looking for donations to help First Responders or victims of the virus; some are even posing as a representative from the World Health Organization!
- Beware of calls, emails or texts alleging they are the Treasury Department "verifying" your banking information so that the government can "release" funds or qualify you for additional funding.
Potential Targets:
- Seniors - as they are isolated and willing to engage;
- Small Businesses - with promises of loans and an "online listing verification";
- College Students - with offers of Coronavirus related student loan repayment plans; and
- Anyone under Financial Stress - with schemes to make money quick, work form home, and other opportunities that are proposed
...all in the name of getting access to your money and identity.
Truly, in so many ways this pandemic has brought out the best in our society, so don't get caught with your guard down.
Be cautious. Be Safe. Be Well, everyone.
Pastor Dale
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