How to Spot a Coronavirus Scam and Avoid It
Victims are easy to target when people are worried, lonely and needy. Forewarned is forearmed.
Be very afraid.
Source: drogatnev/iStockphotoFrom socially isolated seniors to distracted parents working from home, the coronavirus has exposed victims to scammers. Pandemic-related complaints to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency responsible for protecting U.S. consumers, started spiking in mid-March and remain high.
The AARP says that its fraud hotline is on track to field twice as many scam reports this year as last. And it's not just the 50-plus crowd or multitasking parents who are unwittingly wiring money, sharing personal information or investing in a con. Those under 40 are actually more likely than their elders to fall for schemes amid the pandemic, but they tend to lose less money and get less attention.