Coronavirus Fraud and Scams

Over the past few years, we’ve seen many examples of how hackers and scammers take advantage of current events, and the COVID-19 situation is no different. The attempts to steal your personal information and money range from phishing emails to fake remedies to fake charities, and they can be hard to spot. We’ve gathered some resources below to help you identify and avoid their tactics.

Government Stimulus Checks

As more information circulates about checks from the government, scammers will enact plans to use the news to their advantage. This article from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gives you the facts and predicts what scammers’ tactics might be. Be careful out there!

Protect Your Information!

Don’t forget! Lake City Bank will never call or text you and ask you to authorize a transaction you didn’t make in order to “test” your debit card function. We will never ask you for personal information, including passwords, PINs, card numbers or usernames. If someone contacts you for this information, hang up and report it to our One Call Center at (888) 522-2265 right away.

Comprehensive Coronavirus Resource

This article from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a good overall resource for coronavirus information. It includes

• Types of scams to watch out for
• How the FTC and FDA are joining forces to protect you
• A list of blog posts and resources about more specific coronavirus scam issues
• Coronavirus-related scam call recordings
• A list of websites you can go to for reliable information about the virus itself and what the US government is doing
• How to report coronavirus-related scams

Scammers Follow the Headlines

Scammers are avid readers of the news. News headlines are where they get a lot of their ideas for scams, especially during times like this. These Federal Trade Commission (FTC) articles share some of the scams that have come from coronavirus headlines and how to report any scams you run across.
How Scammers Follow the Headlines
Coronavirus Scams Part 2

Coronavirus Phishing Emails

With all the coronavirus-related emails you’ve received recently, it can be hard to distinguish legitimate emails from phishing attempts. Consumer Reports shares some tips in this article about how to spot the scams. P.S. They also link to their Coronavirus Resource Hub, which has a lot of articles you might find helpful.

Scammers are out there phishing – don’t bite their bait! This article provides some examples and screenshots of coronavirus phishing emails as well as a list of reliable sources for coronavirus information.