As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the United States, scammers have seized the opportunity to prey on consumers. Phone scammers are constantly adapting and unfortunately, this recent national emergency is no exception. We wanted to share some more information, along with a few tips, to protect you from being victimized.
The Federal Communications Commission has been alerted of a number of phone and text message scams, ranging from fake testing kits and unproven cures to government imposter scams and work from home schemes.
The sad truth is that these scams prey on the most vulnerable members of our community, and often result in financial loss or worse, the use of potentially dangerous and fraudulent “treatments.” To protect yourself from these scams and others, the FCC recommends:
– Do not respond to calls or texts from unknown numbers, or any others that appear suspicious.
– Never share your personal or financial information via email, text messages, or over the phone.
– Be cautious if you’re being pressured to share any information or make a payment immediately.
– Scammers often spoof phone numbers to trick you into answering or responding. Remember that government agencies will never call you to ask for personal information or money.
– Do not click any links in a text message. If a friend sends you a text with a suspicious link that seems out of character, call them to make sure they weren’t hacked.
– Always check on a charity (for example, by calling or looking at its actual website) before donating.
We must work together to stop these vicious scammers. To learn more, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/covid-scams. If you feel you have been scammed, please contact your local authorities and email outreach@fcc.gov.