Don't Fall for Scams During COVID-19 Shutdown

Zach Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, warns that scammers are out there ready to price gouge, steal your stimulus check or sell fake tests.

by

Alexandria's Zach Terwilliger, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, warns that during the pandemic shutdown, residents need to be extra careful about scams involving everything from personal protective equipment to stimulus checks. Here's our Q&A with him:

Q: During the coronavirus shutdown, what sort of scams should people be aware of?

A: Given that we, as both a country and Alexandria community, are at an increased level of vulnerability due to COVID-19 and its concomitant fear, the desire for protection, and the amount of stimulus money being pushed out, there are a multitude of scams that require vigilance. 

There are scammers targeting the virus itself in terms of fake cures, fake testing kits, offers to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) who are happy to take your money, but never send you what you paid for in advance. 

Now with the economic impact payment (stimulus) checks and direct deposits being sent, a whole new scam has emerged where criminals attempt to steal your personally identifying information and bank account information under the guise of getting you your payment sooner.  

Q: How would a would-be scammer contact someone? 

A: Criminals preying upon the current COVID-19 populace are using traditional telephone calls, phishing scams via email, and directly through text messages that even include details like your first name or address that were gleaned from past data breaches or purchased on the dark web.

Q: What can people do to protect themselves?

A: Don’t abandon your commonsense. If something sounds too good to be true — like an advance on your economic impact payment — it probably is.

Look out for one another.  Make sure, especially vulnerable seniors, are not transferring funds, writing checks, or providing personal information without checking with you — a trusted family member.

Pay close attention to the details. Is the web address .gov? Run a google search on the phone number calling you and asking for your personal information, and when in doubt, take the most conservative action by not sending any money or providing any information.  

Q: Should people report a possible scam and if so, who should they report it to?

A: Yes, please do not only protect yourself, but also report instances of perceived fraudulent scams or phishing activities.  You can report these tips to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (1-866-720-5721) or Diaster@leo.gov

Q: Are scammers targeting a certain demographic?

A: All are susceptible to these scams.  Fraudsters, however, are focused on those with increased vulnerability in an effort to leverage that vulnerability to take victims’ money and personal information. 

Further, for those who are eligible and except to receive economic impact payments, those individuals are at an increased risk because the criminals want to swindle those individuals out of their payments.

Q: Have there been any such scams reported in our area?

A: Yes, we have had a number of scams prevalent in our area as described above.  This also includes price gouging by those with limited number of products that they are selling at grossly inflated rates despite their desperate need at the front lines. 

Additional Resources