INSIGHT Magazine Special Home Edition April 2020 | Page 16

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) KNOWLEDGE
• Do your homework when it comes to
donations, whether through charities or
crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush
you into making a donation. If someone
wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by
wiring money, don’t do it.
Here are some additional ways being used…
• Undelivered goods: Online sellers
claim they have in-demand products,
like cleaning, household, and health and
medical supplies. You place an order, but
you never get your shipment. Anyone
can set up shop online under almost any
name — including scammers.
What to do: Check out the seller by
searching online for the person or
company’s name, phone number and
email address, plus words like “review,”
“complaint” or “scam.” If everything checks
out, pay by credit card and keep a record
of your transaction. If you’re concerned
about the pricing of products in your area,
contact your state consumer protection
officials. For a complete list of state
Attorneys General, visit naag.org.
• Fake charities: When a major health
event — like the Coronavirus — happens,
you might be looking for ways to help.
Scammers use the same events to take
advantage of your generosity. Some
scammers use names that sound a lot
like the names of real charities. This is one
reason it pays to do some research before
giving. Money lost to bogus charities
means less donations to help those in
need.
What to do: Use these organizations to
help you research charities. When you
give, pay safely by credit card — never by
gift card or wire transfer.
• Fake emails, texts and phishing:
Scammers use fake emails or texts to
get you to share valuable personal
information — like account numbers,
Social Security numbers, or your login IDs
and passwords. They use your information
to steal your money, your identity, or
both. They also use phishing emails to
get access to your computer or network.
If you click on a link, they can install
ransomware or other programs that can
lock you out of your data. Scammers
often use familiar company names or
pretend to be someone you know. Here’s
a real-world example of a scam where
phishers pretend to be the World Health
Organization (WHO).
• Robocalls: Scammers are using illegal
robocalls to pitch everything from scam
Coronavirus treatments to work-at-home
schemes.
What to do: Hang up. Don’t press any
numbers. The recording might say that
pressing a number will let you speak to a
live operator or remove you from their call
list, but it might lead to more robocalls,
instead.
• Misinformation and rumors: Scammers,
and sometimes well-meaning people,
share information that hasn’t been
verified.
What to do: Before you pass on any
messages, and certainly before you
pay someone or share your personal
information, do some fact checking
by contacting trusted sources. For
information related to the Coronavirus,
visit What the U.S. Government is Doing.
There you’ll find links to federal, state and
local government agencies. ✽
Source: Federal Trade Commission consumer.ftc.gov
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April 2020 – Special Home Edition
INSIGHT