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As the COVID-19 pandemic rolls into its second year, people are finding different ways to navigate this new world.
In an increasingly digital society more opportunities have been discovered by scammers to take advantage of people who are scared, confused and being bombarded with new and changing information from public and private providers.
From paying to receive stimulus checks to fake vaccine healthcare providers, these opportunists have found a range of novel ways to get people to part with their private information and cash. Check out some of the COVID-19 scams to avoid below.
Stimulus Check Scam – Calls From IRS
If you haven’t already received a direct payment from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it could be headed to your bank account or mailbox soon.
Experts say, with money flooding Americans’ bank accounts, scammers will be looking for ways to cash in. It’s important to know that the IRS will never call a consumer directly, nor send unsolicited emails, texts or social media messages.
If you get a message or email asking you to click a link or verify sensitive information — be careful. It’s probably a scam.
Stimulus Check Scam – Pay to Get Check
You are not required to make a purchase to receive a stimulus check, and offers advertising faster delivery of your stimulus payment for a fee are suspicious and could be scams.
Messages that claim to provide extra federal funds to stay home and isolate are scams, as are mailers with phony stimulus checks that must be cashed by making a purchase with a specific retailer.
All of these are real examples of scams reported to the Florida Attorney General’s Office, News 4 Jax reported.
Vaccine Scam – Fake Healthcare Providers
Scammers are taking advantage of confusion and changing daily information surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine distribution to prey on consumers anxious to get their shots.
The FTC has received numerous reports of vaccine scams, though none so far have involved large numbers of people, the Seattle Medium reported.
The complaints involve scammers posing as federal and local officials, as well as hospital staff, clinic workers and healthcare providers. Victims have reportedly been asked to provide sensitive information like social security numbers, medical information and driver’s license numbers.
No one from a vaccine distribution site, healthcare provider’s office, pharmacy, or your insurance company or Medicare will ask for personal information or your Social Security, credit card, driver’s license or bank account number to sign you up to get the vaccine.
Vaccine Scam – Pay for Appointment
In some areas, scammers posing as clinic workers contacted people and offered them COVID-19 vaccines for an upfront $100 fee. After the money was paid, the victims were referred to a vaccine site where they did not have appointments, KTVL reported.
The FTC said you should never pay for a vaccine. Anyone asking for money to get you an appointment or put you on a list is a scammer.
You can’t buy the vaccine anywhere, it’s only available at federal and state-approved locations, so any ads to buy it are phony.
Do not click on links or open attachments from sources you don’t recognize contacting you about the vaccine, as you could download dangerous malware.
Vaccine Scam – Vaccination Cards
Even those who’ve received the vaccine shot legitimately need to be careful.
The Better Business Bureau says people posting their vaccination cards online are putting themselves at risk. They said the vaccine cards include private information such as your full name and home address, making it a “scammers paradise.”
Experts say it is safer to just share a picture of the vaccination sticker instead.
Read more on COVID-19 scams and lawsuits in our complete guide to the COVID-19 pandemic legal issues.
Have you been contacted by someone trying to scam you during the pandemic? Let us know your experience in the comments!
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