Law Enforcement Warns Against COVID-19 Scams
In a press conference, Attorney General Dana Nessel and sheriff officials outlined two scams related to the new coronavirus that looks to steal unsuspecting residents financial information.
State and county officials say con artists are attempting to capitalize on COVID-19 fears.
“If you receive a phone call or an email or a text message asking for your financial information, please do not provide your financial information.” — Attorney General Dana Nessel
One telemarketing scam involves the caller offering coronavirus testing in exchange for the victim’s financial information. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says senior citizens are the primary target of the scam.
“If you are an individual who has not reached out to anyone and you receive a phone call or an email or a text message asking for your financial information, please do not provide your financial information,” says Nessel.
Officials another scam involves fraudulent URLs that attempt to install malware by impersonating professional medical websites. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard says internet users should check the validity of a URL before opening any links.
“There’s one specifically related to John Hopkins, which is a real time sickness map (seen above), and there’s a very close, similar kind of site that actually is planting malware on your computer,” says Brouchard.
Generally, officials say residents should not give private information to anyone they did not reach out to.
