Monday, March 30, 2020

Scams and the COVID-19 Epidemic

Leslie Salvo
Paralegal

As we attempt to adapt to our “brave new world” with COVID-19 at the center of our attention, let’s not forget to be vigilant for those individuals who are always ready to take advantage of a bad situation. Regrettably, there are people using this pandemic to line their pockets with your money. Here are a few scams to be aware of:

(1)  Receiving a call, email or text message that there is a vaccination available for COVID-19. At this time, there is no vaccination available at any cost. You should also avoid responding to calls regarding home test kits. Hopefully these will be available soon, but for now, beware.

(2)  Services offering to clean your home but requesting prepayment for the service. Also be wary of online retailers selling cleaning products claiming to kill the virus. 

(3)  Charity scams offering assistance to those affected by the virus. If you want to contribute to a charity, please contact the “tried and true” charitable agencies - The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, or even your local United Way chapter. 

(4)  If someone offers to do your grocery shopping for you, that’s wonderful! But if you’re going to give someone money upfront to do so, make sure you know the person. There may be some honest strangers out there offering to help, but this is a situation ripe for taking advantage of your vulnerability.

Please take care of yourself and your community during this difficult time.