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Beware of COVID-19 Scammers

Washington, D.C, April 3, 2020

Friends, I continue to hear reports of scammers trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes bogus charities, claims of vaccinations or home testing kits for sale, and people claiming to be from the IRS calling to ask for personal information to process your stimulus payment.

*** It appears as though many of these scams are directly targeting our older population.

PLEASE be extra vigilant right now and on guard for scams, and talk with any friends or family members who might be more susceptible. Here are five excellent suggestions that experts have for how to protect yourself:

  1. Skepticism should be your default position when talking with anyone who contacts you out of the blue, for any reason.
  2. Skepticism is also wise before you act on (or share) information that has not come from an authoritative source.
  3. Remember the IRS will never call, text, or email asking for your personal information. (They already have it.)
  4. Hang up on robocalls. Don't say a word, don't press a button - just hang up. In fact, if you don't recognize the Caller ID, perhaps it's best to let it roll to voice mail.
  5. Don't click on links in emails from sources you don't know. And even then, ask yourself if the content of the email makes sense and is consistent with something the sender would typically send you.