The FCC has launched a page to help consumers protect themselves from scam phone calls and texts attempting to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic.
The page enables users to listen to real audio from scam calls that offer bogus free home testing kits, duct cleaning and promise help for diabetics who use insulin. The FCC also says that thieves are trying to gain personal and/or bank information by saying it is needed in order to process government-issued checks.
“We’re tracking scams and sharing information to arm consumers about how imposters use spoofing and other tactics to steal their money and their identity,” Patrick Webre, the Chief of the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, said in a press release. “The FCC fights these types of scams through enforcement of its rules, but our primary goal is to be proactive so Americans don’t fall victim to these bad actors.”
FCC COVID-10 Scam Efforts
More information is available at the FCC Consumer Help Center and the FCC Scam Glossary. There also is a page at which to file complaints about scams.
The FCC offered six ways in which individuals can protect themselves from such scams.
- Do not respond to calls or texts from unknown or suspicious numbers.
- Never share your personal or financial information via email, text messages or over the phone.
- Be cautious if you’re being pressured to share information or make a payment immediately.
- Watch out for “spoof phone numbers.” Government agencies will never call you to ask for personal information or money.
- Never click on links in a text message. If a person known to you appears to have sent a text that seems out of character and looks suspicious, contact them to make sure they weren’t hacked.
- Check charities before donating. Do such things as calling or looking at the charity’s actual website before donating.