COVID-19 SCAMS- U.S. DOJ Investigates Coronavirus Scams in Washington State

Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) authorities are conducting investigations into scams trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington State. So far, DOJ has received 34 complaints about potential coronavirus scams for a total loss of $4,000 in Washington. Officials expect the number of complaints and the dollar amount of losses to grow in the near future.

The types of scams include fake cure scams, home testing scams, and phishing schemes. Scammers are contacting victims through cell phones and personal computers. DOJ officials say that scammers are also downloading ransomware when a victim clicks a malicious link or downloads a malicious document on their smartphone or computer. The scammer then demands to be paid to unlock the victim’s device.

If you are a victim of a coronavirus scam, or encounter a coronavirus scam, DOJ officials encourage you to report it to:

The National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via email at disaster@leo.gov.

Another potential opportunity for scammers is the upcoming stimulus payments from the federal government. As of this writing, the $2.2 trillion relief bill has not passed the House yet. Specifics remain up in the air on how relief funds will be distributed to the public.

The IRS says that it does not have any specifics on check distribution. It did say that there is no need to sign up for the checks. Check its coronavirus web page,  https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus, for updates.

You can expect scammers to send emails, text messages, and via social media with links to “sign up” for the relief checks. And they will be urgent messages to get you to “sign up” before the “money is gone.” Don’t fall for any emails or texts supposedly from the IRS out of the blue. The IRS will not send you an email or text.

With more reports of scammers taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to keep up with scams that are going around. Check the following links for information on coronavirus scams,  

KING TV:

https://www.king5.com/article/news/feds-investigate-growing-numbers-of-coronavirus-scams-in-washington/281-ec4682e6-9fbb-4f7d-b6b9-d7e21af802e3

KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/ftc-bbb-warn-beware-stimulus-scammers/DPL62NZSBRHLBEG34KLTYPHODM/

U.S. Department of Justice COVID-19 Fraud web page:

https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

U.S. Department of Justice National Center for Disaster Fraud:

https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud

IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief:

https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus

For a reminder on how to detect a phishing email, check out this link,

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/spot-a-fake-website/?utm_source=web&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ITRC_COVID19