04/15/2020
Unfortunately, during the current pandemic, there are criminals who are taking advantage of others through various different scams. Below are some of the most common scams that you should be aware of:
- Stimulus Check Scams: the IRS will never call, text, e-mails, or contact you on social media asking you for any types of personal information, including your bank account. You also need to watch out for e-mails with attachments or links that claim to have additional information about economic impact payments or refunds.
- Home Testing Kits: scammers are claiming to have access to home testing kits for COVID-19.Some are even claiming to have treatments as well. There are no treatments or testing kits approved by the FDA for home use at the present time. Additionally, please only make purchases from trusted websites. Always look for the "lock" image in the browser bar so you know the website is encrypted and can't be hacked.
- Sick Family Member Scam: scammers are contacting people pretending to be a sick family member in the hospital with COVID-19 and asking that money be sent to them. If this happens to you, hang up and contact your family member directly to get in touch with them.
Please be vigilant at this time with all personal and banking information. Remember, if something seems strange or suspect, it likely is a scam. Lastly, please be sure to report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff's Department.
