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Avoid Coronavirus Scams Both at Home and at Work

Author: Information Technology
Date: 3/30/2020 3:51:07 PM

Scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding the Coronavirus.

Here are some tips to help you keep the scammers at bay:

  • Hang up on robocalls. Don’t press any numbers. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam Coronavirus treatments 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.
  • Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. There currently are no vaccines or over-the-counter products available to prevent, treat, or cure Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores. At this time, there also are no FDA-authorized home test kits for the Coronavirus. Visit the Food and Drug Administration website (https://www.fda.gov) to learn more.
  • Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before you pass on any messages, contact trusted sources.
  • Be skeptical of emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov)  and the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int) by typing in their web addresses directly in your web browser.
  • Do not provide personal information, including your password in response to an email or robocall.
  • Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation.

For more information on these scams, see the COVID-19 related pages at the Federal Communications Commission (https://www.fcc.gov/covid-scams) and the Federal Trade Commission (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing).