The FTC is collecting data, looking at numbers and spotting trends every day. We are also spreading COVID-19-related scams targeting consumers and businesses. Because the more you know about what’s going on, the easier it will be to protect yourself and others from these scams.
To date, we have received more than 175,000 reports related to COVID-19 involving scams, identity theft, do not call and other consumer protection issues. You can click on your state to see trends in your community, but recent national data shows that online shopping is the No. 1 fraud complaint and has caused $16 million in losses. The scams trick people into ordering masks, hand sanitizer and other high-demand items, but the items never arrive. People are also reporting scam text messages related to fake income offers, fake economic relief programs, fake charities and fake governments.
As part of a broader trend, the overall number of “Do Not Call” complaints is starting to rise again after months of decline. As scammers take to the phone again, you can expect an increase in popular phone scams, such as government imposter scams that take advantage of the pandemic or economic stimulus packages.
To help you protect against these scams, keep these tips in mind and pass them on to your employees, family, friends, and community:
- Before you order from an unfamiliar online store, View company Or online products first. Then pay by credit card so you can dispute the billing error, report it to your credit card company, and get your money back if something goes wrong.
- Do not pay or give out your personal information to respond to calls, emails or text messages purporting to be from the government. The government will never call you out of the blue to ask for money or your personal information (such as Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers).
Sign up to get the latest scam information and the latest updates from the FTC Business blog posts and consumer alerts. Please continue to report what you see at ftc.gov/complaint.
