CoronaScam

As with all disasters, a whole new crop of scammers has come out to take advantage of the public’s confusion and anxiety. Please be extra cautious with questionable phone calls and emails. Below are a few of the newest scams.

Covid-19 Test Kit - Beware of individuals selling COVID-19 testing kits or unapproved treatment through telemarketing calls, emails and even door-to-door. Your physician will be the only source of this type of information and services.

Phone Calls & Emails - Beware of phone calls and emails that tell you that the government requires you to take a COVID-19 test. The scammers will ask for your health insurance information including your Medicare number, which they will then use to fraudulently bill your insurance and Medicare for treatment you didn’t receive and pocket the funds.

Covide-19 Treatment - Our doctors and scientists are working hard to find treatment or cure for COVID-19. When an approved treatment is available the first place you will hear about it will NOT be from a phone call, online advertisement or door-to-door sales pitch. Ignore all these offers and don’t give them financial or medical insurance information.

Free Sanitize - Beware of scammers who offer to clean your HVAC or sanitize your driveway / mailbox to provide protection from the virus. There is no evidence this is useful.

Loans - Be careful when you receive call regarding student loans, work for home opportunities, or help getting qualified for the COVID financial assistance or for unemployment. This is just another way to steal your personal information. And this isn’t just happening to individual, small business are also getting scam calls about virus-related funding.

Charities - Be cautious when donating to COVID-19 charities. The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning consumers to be wary of calls purported to be for WHO or other charities that ask for account information – either banking or credit card – or for money. Some of the first charity calls we tend to get are really scammers because they are set up before the crisis and can change their pitch to reflect the newest disaster well before the real charity organization can mobilize.

Be Cautious - Before you give out any information, if you have any questions if a letter or phone call is legitimate you can check with your local authority. If you think you have gotten a COVID-19-related fraudulent call, email or in-person visit, complaints should be reported to the appropriate authority.