Coronavirus and Stimulus Scams to Avoid

An emergency such as the Coronavirus pandemic, and emergency payments such as Stimulus checks, bring out the best in most of us. 

Unfortunately, it brings out the worst in others.  Bad guys are multiplying like a virus to take advantage of the headlines to prey on the frightened and the unsuspecting. 

Seniors especially are being targeted. 

Beware of these Coronavirus and Stimulus Scams

Coronavirus scams and stimulus payment scams by email, on the phone or by text, and scammers who show up at your doorstep.

Scams for magical Coronavirus protection gear and cures.

Vaccination scams, including illegal and unproven supplies and cut-the-line priveleges

Scams about your utility bills and utilities.

Medicare scams to steal your identity so the scammers can commit Medicare fraud.

Notices requiring you to take a Covid-19 test.

Offers to “jump the line” for a Covid-19 vaccine.

Check our Crisis update hub

including

Where to Get Government Help

How to Apply for SNAP Food Stamps

Stimulus Package Scams

Beware of emails and robo calls which appear to be from the IRS.

Note that the IRS never emails or phones you or emails you. 

The IRS only notifies you by US mail. 

So anybody - anybody - claiming to be from IRS who phones you or emails you is a scammer.  Don’t fall for it.

Advice from the Federal Trade Commission:

• Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government.
• The details are still being worked out.
• Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.

Beware of scam texts

The BBB said scammers have been targeting seniors with text messages posing as the U.S. Department of Health, telling them they need to take a mandatory online COVID-19 test in order to receive the government stimulus payment.

Scam Cures and Products

These are some of the scams I’ve received recently:

Some phony whose email address includes Healthyto120 thinks I’m stupid enough to click on his link about how bee stings can prevent Coronavirus.  Don’t fall for it.

Another scammer whose email address includes safemask thinks I’m stupid enough to click on a link to the “world’s safest facemask to prevent Coronavirus”.   Don’t fall for it.

Another scammer whose subject line was: #1 crazy trick to stop Coronavirus apparently believes I am stupid enough to click the link.  Don’t fall for it.

Also, watch for  scam emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts claiming they have “secret” information about the virus.

For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) says these scammers have no evidence to back up their claims — as required by law.

The FDA says there are no approved vaccines, drugs or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent the virus.

Read more about the warning letters.

Advice from the Federal Trade Commission:

• Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. Scammers are trying to get you to buy products that are not proven to treat or prevent the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores - and could be actually dangerous to your health.
• At this time, there  are no FDA-authorized home test kits for the Coronavirus. So don’t fall for it.
• Watch for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus.

For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO)

Visit the FDA to learn more

Text Scams to Steal Your Identity

Beware of texts that appear to be from somebody warning you that someone you know has tested positive for Covid-19 and recoomends you get tested. 

Do not click the link to find out more at the website.  It is a scam, according to police in Maine, where the scam is targeting residents.

“If you receive a text message like the one pictured, DO NOT click the link!” the police wrote on Facebook. “It is not a message from any official agency. It is however a gateway for bad actors to find their way into your world.”

Log-in Scams to Steal Your Identity

Beware of emails warning you of a suspicious log-in attempt on your email.

I received this recently:

A user has just signed in to your Google Account from a new device. We are sending you this email to verify that it is you.
Location : Russia

Of course it’s me.  You unscrupulous malware phishing scammers sent it to me from (deleted)@cykjje.drivefact.org

Of course I stopped everything to click the link to verify that I am the person to whom you sent the email, because there is nothing I want more in life than for you to infect me with your Russian malware and steal my identity.

Advice from the Federal Trade Commission

Utility Scams

In one of the most prevalent phone scams, a caller may:

• Pretend to be from Con Edison, or National Grid. They may even manipulate your caller ID to display Con Edison’s name.
• Threaten to turn off your power or gas within an hour.
• Demand immediate payment—often by prepaid debit card.

Advice from Con Edison

We DO NOT require deposits for installation of a smart meter.

• We  do not accept Bitcoin as payment for products and services.
• Always check the url.
• You can only pay your Con Edison bills through two sites.
  • conEd.com – bank account (checking or savings).
  • webpayments.billmatrix.com/ConEdResidential – credit or debit card

Door-to-Door Scams

When someone comes to your door claiming to be from Con Edison, ask for credentials. It’s not rude, it’s safe.

Here’s how to tell a real Con Edison employee from a fake one.

• An employee will readily prove their identity. An imposter won’t.
• An employee will wear a photo ID with their name and employee number.
• An employee will gladly give you their supervisor’s name, the unique “ticket” number assigned to your job, and ask you to call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) to verify their identity.

Grandparent & Family Emergency Scams

These scams aren’t specific to the Coronavirus pandemic, but scammers are taking advantage of the situation.

Recently I got a call from an adult-sounding voice claiming to be my grandson, in trouble and needing money. 

Since my real grandson is young enough to have a voice which has not yet changed, I knew instantly that this was a scammer. 

Advice from the Federal Trade Commission:

• Resist the urge to act immediately – no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the caller’s identity. Ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.
• Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.
• Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
• Don’t send cash, gift cards, or money transfersbecause once the scammer gets the money, it’s gone!

For more information, read Family Emergency Scams.

And if you get a scam call, report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Medicare scams

Con artists may try to get your Medicare number or personal information so they can steal your identity and commit Medicare fraud.

Medicare fraud results in higher health care costs and taxes for everyone.

Guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card.

Advice from Medicare:

• Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare Number or other personal information unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
• Medicare will never call you to sell you anything.
• You may get calls from people promising you things if you give them a Medicare Number. Don’t do it. 
• Medicare will never visit you at your home.
• Medicare can’t enroll you over the phone unless you called first.

Report anything suspicious to Medicare. If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE.

How to report fraud.

My personal advice -

Keep a LOUD whistle by your phone, and in case you answer one of these scam calls by mistake, blow out their eardrum. 

That includes the scam calls from scammers who have magically noticed a problem on your computer and want your password to fix it.

Ooh, so sorry I hurt your ear, you malevolent scammer.

This was first published in April 2020 and has been updated in March 2021.

Evelyn Kanter is a native New Yorker who has written for the NY Times, NY Daily News, NY Post, New York Magazine, and is a former on-air consumer rights reporter for WCBS Newsradio 88 and for WABC-TV Eyewitness News. 

No other website publisher or staff has those NYC credentials.

Evelyn Kanter also is the author of several NYC and Hudson Valley guidebooks, including my latest, 100 Things to Do in NYC Before You Die.

Purchase autographed copies by emailing [email protected]

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