New Coronavirus-Related Scam Making The Rounds: DA

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A new scam is making the rounds concerning the new coronavirus. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. said county residents need to be aware of and protect themselves from increasing COVID-19-related scams and frauds.

As the health crisis continues, Scarpino said the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are seeing more scams related to federal coronavirus stimulus payments as well as bogus COVID-19-related products and treatments for sale, charities and fraudulent investment and job opportunities.

Information about a new scam was released recently by the Federal Trade Commission: text messages that falsely claim to be COVID-19 contact tracing.

While it's true you could get a call from a health department representative or a confirmation text message, Scarpino said, you will never be asked to click on a link in a text message.

"Scammers wake up every day trying to find new ways to take advantage of the unsuspecting," he said. "This is their work. Our work is to keep you safe."

Scarpino said you will never receive calls or emails from the IRS, the Census Bureau or other federal agency asking for your Social Security number or credit card information.

He said to be suspicious of anyone who contacts you — via phone, email, text message or social media — requesting money and/or your personal identifying information, such as your Social Security number, birth date or address.

Recently, work-from-home scams have become more frequent during the health crisis with scammers offering jobs if you pay them up front.

That's never legitimate, Scarpino said.

If you have been a victim of a similar scam, or know someone who has, report it to your local police or file a claim with the district attorney's office.

Here are some "do's and don'ts" to remember:

• Don’t believe a person claiming to be a Census employee asking for money or your Social Security number. Real Census representatives don’t do that.
• Don’t fall for fake medical companies re: COVID-19 tests, treatments or drugs and requesting personal identifying information to “check for eligibility” or ask for payment.
• Don’t give money to anyone soliciting donations relating to COVID-19 assistance, unless you know it’s a trusted charity. (Check Charity Navigator.)
• Don’t speak to anyone who claims to be a representative from national health organizations, such as the CDC or WHO offering to help obtain COVID-19 stimulus funds.
• Don’t click on links or communication which appear to direct you to COVID-19 news, health-related or other websites you are not familiar with. They may contain malware to take over your computer or plant a virus.
• Don’t assume the person on the phone is who they say they are. Ask for a phone number and suggest you will call them back.
• Don’t take the bait. Clicking on a text link about contact tracing will download bad software onto your device, giving scammers access to your personal and financial information. Ignore and delete these scam messages.
• Don’t pay anyone who says they can get you a job — not money or in gift cards.
• Do look carefully at email addresses. While a subject line may say the email is from a federal agency, a bank or a charity, the email address may give it away. Criminals will sometimes change just one letter in an email address to make it look like one you trust.
• Do use call-blocking technology on your phone.
• Do back up your digital devices, so if you do get hacked, you have a recent copy.
• Do keep your computer anti-virus software up to date.
• Do! Only refer to trusted sources of information. For medical, trust your doctor, cdc.gov and the Westchester County Health Department. For financial information, refer to ftc.gov or irs.gov.

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