New Coronavirus Scam Targets Small Businesses: Gloucester Twp. PD

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A new scam centered around the coronavirus is targeting small businesses, according to Gloucester Township police and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

It starts with an email that claims to come from the “Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance,” according to police.

The email leads small business owners to believe they are eligible for a loan of up to $250,000, and requests personal information such as birthday and social security number.

The FTC warns that real lenders never make people “automatically eligible” for a big loan. They also never ask for birthdays and social security numbers.

It recommends checking out lenders before giving out personal information, checking their credit report and begin with www.sba.gov when looking for relief from the coronavirus pandemic.

More information is available at consumer.ftc.gov. Any other questions or concerns can be directed to Gloucester Township police at police@gtpolice.com.

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