Types of Scams:
Scammers use ads, bogus websites, direct mail, email and social media to push herbs, oils, pills, powders, supplements and teas with supposed properties to cure chronic diseases, ease pain, melt away pounds, ward off infection — and now to prevent, treat or cure coronavirus.
Along with peddling snake oil, shady companies or outright scammers offer actual medications without a prescription.
Scammers are impersonating federal health agencies in phishing emails designed to get your personal data.
A map of the outbreak online offered by Johns Hopkins University is being spoofed, and if you click on an ad or email link to a fake map, it will deploy malicious software on your device that will steal your login credentials or your bank account information.
The internet is replete with fake websites with “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” in their web addresses. Avoid doing searches on these terms and instead go to websites of authorities that you personally trust.
What You Should Do:
Be skeptical. If a claim for an untested or little-known product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. |
Carefully check the email addresses for messages supposedly coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Best practice is to visit their actual websites by typing cdc.gov or who.int into your web browser to get reliable, up-to-date information. |
Don’t open attachments or click on links in unsolicited emails or texts about medical products or global health crises. |
Make sure you are up to date with your security software, browser and operating system, and run antivirus software regularly. |
Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/complaint or to your state Attorney General. |