There has been a significant rise in fraud schemes related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic over the last year. Here are some schemes and prevention-tips to help you and your family.
Emails/Websites/Social Media Sites Including:
- Email links to websites/social media sites supposedly providing information on the virus
- Email links to websites/social media sites to calculate or “sign up” to obtain a stimulus check
- Phishing emails requesting you to verify your personal information to process a stimulus payment
- Phishing emails soliciting charitable contributions
- Phishing emails soliciting crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project (like maybe a vaccine or treatment, or sewing masks at home, or building ventilators) by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet.
- Phishing emails/website/social media sites soliciting assistance in obtaining airline refunds
- Phishing emails/websites/social media sites soliciting preventions, vaccines, diagnostic tests, or treatments for COVID-19
- Phishing emails and/or websites soliciting counterfeit Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including N95 respiration masks, goggles, full face shields, protective gowns, and gloves
- Email links to websites to apply for the PPP (Payroll Protection Program) loan/grant
- Fake emails appearing to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Fake websites setup to falsely portray the appearance of selling products related to the COVID-19 crisis
Tips to Avoid Becoming the Victim of Fraudsters:
| DON’T | DO |
|---|---|
| Do not click on links or attachments in emails from people you don’t recognize | Verify the web address of legitimate websites and manually type them into your browser. |
| Do not click on links or attachments without researching them first. If you hover over the link you can see the URL/website address. If it isn’t recognizable it probably isn’t a legitimate website. | Check for misspellings or wrong domains within a link (for instance, does a domain end in .gov but should end in .com) or is it slightly altered (www.bhccu.com instead of www.bhcscu.com). |
| Never provide your username, password, date of birth, social security number, account number, or any other personal data in response to an email or a robocall. | When making a purchase from an online retailer, check to see if they have any online reviews prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Look closely at the review dates and the content of the reviews to determine if they are legitimate. |
Obtaining Legitimate Information:
- For accurate and up to date information on COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov or www.coronavirus.gov.
- For information on unapproved or counterfeit PPE visit www.cdc.gov/niosh, www.fda.gov, and www.epa.gov.
Reporting Fraud:
- Report counterfeit products to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and to the National Property Rights Coordination Center at https://iprcenter.gov.
- If you believe you are the victim of an Internet scam or cybercrime, or if you want to report suspicious activity, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
A Message from Baylor Health Care System Credit Union regarding Fraud:
Remember, the Baylor Health Care System Credit Union will never call you and ask you to disclose personal information such as account numbers, pin numbers, or your social security number. Should you receive such a call, please contact us immediately at our new phone number, 469-676-2200.
