Buffalo Grove Police Warn Residents Of Financial Scams During Coronavirus

Press release from the Village of Buffalo Grove:

March 26 2020

The Buffalo Grove Police Department is warning the public about releasing personal information to any unknown or unverified person, whether via email or telephone during the COVID-19 crisis.

With the impending release of federal stimulus funds to millions of Americans, scammers and criminals are attempting to gain access to innocent persons’ bank accounts. These attempts can come in the form of phone calls where the thief poses as a representative from a federal agency asking for personal identifying information, or emails requiring a person to enter their social security number for “verification” and more.

“While this crisis is devastating in itself, thieves and criminals continue to try and exploit innocent people,” said Chief Steven Casstevens. “These federal funds are meant to assist Americans in a time of need, not to be stolen and re-routed to benefit criminal activity.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there is no cure for COVID-19. Any email or phone call stating there is a cure, or those requesting charitable contributions, or advertising COVID-19 test kits should be immediately disregarded. If a person would like to donate to an entity, they should perform diligent research prior to sending money.

For more information, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/coronavirus

This press release was produced by the Village of Buffalo Grove. The views expressed here are the author’s own.