Beware of COVID-19 scams as vaccine approaches FDA approval

ABCNews

The coronavirus vaccine inching toward approval in the U.S. is desperately anticipated by weary Americans longing for a path back to normal life. However, criminals are waiting, too, ready to use that desperation to their advantage, federal investigators say.

BBB issues warning about COVID-19 vaccine trial scams

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau wants to warn you about scams surrounding COVID-19 vaccine trials. Many are anxiously awaiting the vaccine. The BBB says scammers are taking advantage of that wait time by telling people they can take part in clinical trials. In addition, we will likely see more of these false offers as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

Contact Center Fraud Sees a COVID-Induced Spike

destinationCRM

Despite the growing importance of balancing customer experience with strong contact center security, two-thirds of firms struggle to do so, Forrester Research noted in a recent report. As COVID-19 changed the global business landscape, so too did consumer expectations, preferences, and behaviors. They expect companies to follow COVID-related business requirements while also maintaining a high level of security to combat the growing army of fraudsters working to profit from stolen data.

Catfishing and COVID: Military Influencer Shares Story On Nigerian Romance Scammers

Clearancejobs

COVID-19 has brought on many changes, including cybersecurity measures to mitigate issues in more people operating online and working from home. An attack on the rise is social engineering, which experts say is one of the most insidious cyber-attacks because it preys on human emotion. Recently, there were five military men and women with large social media followings that had their identities stolen and used by Nigerian romance scammers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These scammers trick people during a vulnerable time and a study from SocialCatfish.com called Catfishing: A growing epidemic during COVID-19 gleans some interesting data. We are always encouraging our military members and the cleared workforce to operate with caution in the digital age, so we sat down with one of those military influencers to hear her story and discuss tips on preventing this from happening more and more often

Beware of Robocalls, Texts and Emails Promising COVID-19 Cures or Stimulus Payments

AARP

Coronavirus scams are spreading nearly as fast as the virus itself. As of Nov. 24, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had logged nearly 258,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments, more than two-thirds of them involving fraud or identity theft. Victims have reported losing $190 million, with a median loss of $323.

Fraudsters are using the full suite of scam tools — phishing emails and texts, bogus social media posts, robocalls, impostor schemes and more — and closely following the headlines, adapting their messages and tactics as new medical and economic issues arise.

For example, with recent reports of significant progress in the race for a vaccine, crooks have stepped up malicious email campaigns with subject lines like "Urgent information: COVID-19 new approved vaccines," according to software security firm CheckPoint. The FBI warns that scammers are posing as charity fundraisers, soliciting donations to supposedly help individuals, organizations and areas affected by the virus.

Dominion Power Scam

Dominion Power

As the holiday season is rapidly approaching, the scammers are in full swing! Today, numerous citizens have reported receiving suspicious phone calls from folks claiming to work for Dominion Energy. These callers are indicating that a power bill is overdue and they need to pay it immediately or their power will be shut off. Hang up on them and do not provide them with ANY information!

Grandparent Scam

AARP

Scam artists will use any advantage they can get to separate you from your money. Sadly, that includes exploiting grandparents’ love and concern for their grandchildren, giving rise to a breed of impostor fraud specifically targeting older Americans.

Grandparent scams typically work something like this: The victim gets a call from someone posing as his or her grandchild. This person explains, in a frantic-sounding voice, that he or she is in trouble: There has been an accident, an arrest, or a robbery. To up the drama and urgency, the caller might claim to be hospitalized or stuck in a foreign country; to make the impersonation more convincing, he or she will throw in a few family particulars, gleaned from the actual grandchild’s social media activity.

The impostor offers just enough detail about where and how the emergency happened to make it seem plausible and perhaps turns the phone over to another scammer who pretends to be a doctor, police officer or lawyer and backs up the story. The “grandchild” implores the target to wire money immediately, adding an anxious plea: “Don’t tell Mom and Dad!”

Playstation 5 Scam

St. Peters Police Dept - Facebook

The St. Peters Police Department has taken several reports for individuals purchasing the PlayStation 5 on "OfferUp." The seller requests a payment outside the OfferUp app and refuses to allow the buyer to pay cash. Once the victim paid the requested amount, they were provided with an address in St. Peters for pick-up. The buyer showed up to pick-up the PlayStation 5, only to learn that the address is bogus.

BBB Scam Alert: Student debt forgiveness – for a fee?

Better Business Bureau 

How the Scam Works

You receive a call from a person claiming to represent Navient, a student loan servicing company. They explain that as a part of a lawsuit settlement, your student debt is partially or completely forgiven. Of course, you will need to confirm your personal information and pay a fee to “transfer” the debt from Navient to “the Department of Education” or another official-sounding organization. These claims are based on actual procedures you may in fact qualify for, but this unsolicited caller is not working in an official capacity or related to any of the organizations cited in the call.

The caller explains the fees are usually charged on a monthly basis, then request either debit or credit card information. Then, they will begin making withdrawals according to the payment plan you agreed to. Many consumers notice something is wrong when their Navient loan payment continues to be required, even after setting up payments with the new company.

Hey College Students: Have You Seen This Scam?

Federal Trade Commission

College students are receiving an email from a scammer posing as a professor. The scammer offers a part-time job, like a personal assistant or dog walker. The scammer then sends a check and requests the victim to deposit it, then send some money to someone else, and keep the rest of the payment. Once the bank determines the check is fake, the victim is out the entire amount.

Common Scams

The following are some of the most common scams and crimes that the FBI encounters, as well as tips to help prevent you from being victimized.