Be Aware Of Fraudulent Services In Cheyenne Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

Press release from the City of Cheyenne:

April 2, 2020

CHEYENNE (4/2/20) – We would like to remind all Cheyenne and Laramie County residents of increased fraudulent activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 23rd, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Office of Investigations issued a healthcare fraud alert, regarding the agency’s receipt of COVID-19 complaints.

This alert noted that fraudsters are offering COVID-19 tests to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for personal details and are targeting the beneficiaries in several ways. This includes telemarketing calls, text messages, emails, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits. The personal information collected may be used to fraudulently bill Federal health care programs and the unapproved test kits may cause harm to the beneficiaries.

Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) offers the following tips to help you protect yourself from scams, including coronavirus scams:

• Do not respond to calls or texts from unknown numbers, or any others that appear suspicious.
• Never share your personal or financial information via email, text messages, or over the phone.
• Be cautious if you’re being pressured to share any information or make a payment immediately.
• Scammers often spoof phone numbers to trick you into answering or responding. Remember that government agencies will never call you to ask for personal information or money.
• Do not click any links in a text message. If a friend sends you a text with a suspicious link that seems out of character, call them to make sure they weren’t hacked.
• Always check on a charity (for example, by calling or looking at its actual website) before donating.

If you think you’ve been a victim of a coronavirus scam, contact law enforcement immediately.

This press release was produced by the City of Cheyenne. The views expressed here are the author’s own.