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One thing we know about scammers is that they follow the headlines. So it’s not surprising that we’ve seen so many Coronavirus-related scams recently. From scammers selling fake COVID-19 cures and treatments to people posing as government officials offering Coronavirus stimulus checks — nothing seems to be off-limits. 

How can you avoid these scams? Check out these videos for tips on spotting the scams and keeping your money and personal information safe.

Avoid Coronavirus Scams Video

And don’t forget to check out ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams to stay updated on the latest news about Coronavirus-related scams.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

notfooled
August 17, 2020
I was contacted on Messenger without Facebook by an old friend.. I was delighted to hear from her as I have just got in contact with another mutual old friend (legit). The first few messages back and forth were very innocent but then she asked me about the Covid19 payment and I thought she meant the $750 stimulus payment but she said she got $85000 and it was a Facebook random payment and when she signed the paperwork she happened to see my name on the list as well. It’s very obvious now that it’s a scam as she sent me an email address to contact
J L
January 05, 2021
I received an email from Crescent Tax Filing. They claimed they were following up on my request to be contacted. The email requested my previous W-2 info so they could help me receive my Covid -19 stimulus check and receive $2000 worth of tax services for free. Crescent Tax Filing has no valid US address. They started calling me as well. I reported the email to the IRS for their phishing scam alert.
Leroy
February 08, 2021
I was sent to text that had my name but wrong address different city about benefits What do I do last my job when the pandemic started I haven't received anything and I barely start working this year What do I do last my job when the pandemic started I haven't received anything and I barely start working this year