Ebola Scams a Concern for Florida's Attorney General

As concern about the Ebola virus spreading through America reaches a feverish pitch, Florida’s Attorney General is worried scammers may see fear of the disease as an in to part unsuspecting people and their money.

Bondi has issued a warning to Floridians to be on the lookout for scams related to the viral disease that has killed thousands of people around the world.

“We are here to protect Florida’s consumers, and just as scammers prey on consumers in the wake of a hurricane, they will exploit any situation to make a quick dollar, including Ebola-related scams. I encourage Floridians to report any possible scams to my office,” Bondi was quoted in a media release as saying.

The potential for scams related to the deadly disease is quite high, she warns. Some of the possible scams Bondi is concerned about surfacing in the state include:

• Offers for Ebola cures, preventatives and treatments
• Fake charities
• Emails that contain harmful attachments that may have the subject line “Important Ebola Update”

“Unfortunately, con artists will prey upon people who are vulnerable and often seek to capitalize on current events,” the release says. So far, no Ebola-related scams have been brought to the state’s attention and Bondi wants to keep it that way.

In general, consumers can protect themselves from scams – Ebola-related or not – by:

• Researching charities before donating by reaching out to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Better Business Bureau
• Being wary of emails with attachments
• Refusing to give out personal identifying information, such as Social Security numbers, to people who reach out without giving a chance for independent verification of their identity

Anyone who believes they’ve been the target of a scammer can file a complaint with Bondi’s office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM toll-free in Florida.

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