During this period of high anxiety, we are more vulnerable to hackers and scammers. The fraudsters are taking advantage of our fear and uncertainties. They are launching their own computer viruses, malware and fraudulent web- sites with COVID in their names. Some obvious scams that will ask you to call and give personal information are:
- Social Security: Victims receive an official looking letter saying their benefits have been suspended.
- Miracle COVID cures: Robocall that offers free COVID test kit or some type of cure.
- Charity Scams: Receive email or call from a well-recognized charity soliciting a donation.
- Stimulus Check Scams: Scammers pretending to be government officials and asking for bank information.
Caution on emails:
- Do not open attachments unless you are certain of the source.
- Pay attention to the website URLs. They may look identical to a legitimate site but may have a single variation.
- If you did not ask for it, do not respond to it.
- Avoid clicking unknown links posted on social media. Use legitimate news sources.
- Monitor your credit activity online by checking bank and brokerage statements, credit card activities, and credit reports (https://www.annualcreditreport.com/)
A Few Resources:
