The Coronavirus pandemic has been terrible for many different reasons. Unfortunately, scammers have been taking advantage of the confusion around Covid-19 to set up traps that can be difficult to spot. In this article, we’ll let you know how you can protect yourself from fraudsters during Covid-19.
Scammers are known for jumping on the latest trends and exploiting them to take money from unsuspecting people. Coronavirus scams have become widespread in recent months and they are showing no signs of slowing down.
Read on to learn some techniques that will help protect you from scheming individuals.
- Look Out For Fake Products and Testing Kits
Some of the most popular Coronavirus related scams going around are people selling fake Covid -19 tests and protective products. It has been difficult to get yourself a test and it is easy to fall for this trick if you are desperate to get yourself tested.
The main way to avoid a counterfeit test is to only buy through trusted stores. Ideally, you’ll want to try and get tested at an official facility. Also, avoid buying a test from social media since it is very hard to tell who is a trustworthy seller online.
- Hang Up On Robocalls
Robocalls aren’t new, but the Covid-19 pandemic has given fraudsters some new material to work with. Many calls will claim to be from government agencies but will request your credit card information as you get further into the call.
If you hear a robot voice when you pick up the phone then this should set off alarm bells immediately. Just put the phone down.
- Don’t Give Out Personal Information or Financial Information Over the Phone
If you’re not sure whether a phone call is fake or not, there’s no harm staying on the line. Just make sure to never hand over any personal information unless you can absolutely guarantee the call is legit.
The only people who you can trust with your financial details are your bank. Having said that, even they will be unlikely to ask for them over the phone, and if they do, they’ll take you through a number of security questions first before asking for more info.
- Be Suspicious of Unexpected Calls or Emails
In the past, a scam that was being conducted via email was pretty easy to spot. The messages were usually packed with spelling mistakes and just didn’t have that professional look that makes an email seem trustworthy.
Unfortunately for us, the fraudsters have upped their game and their emails are often much more convincing and easy to fall for. The biggest give away is often the email address. If the email address looks strange then you should definitely proceed with caution.
Never click on links unless you are sure the email is from a trusted source. Phishing links are a popular method for fraud and can quickly steal your information or money.
- Beware of Deals That Sound too Good to be True
“If a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is”. These are words to live by when it comes to online shopping or banking. An unrealistic deal is most likely a fraud scheme.