The Lincoln Police Department and the Council on Aging remind residents of all ages to be wary of scams that are already related to the coronavirus public health emergency. These include offers of treatments or vaccines, work-at-home jobs, or in-demand products like medical and cleaning supplies that may come by phone, email, or on the internet. Remember:
- There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for the coronavirus.
- Be wary of emails saying they are from the CDC, WHO, or other government agencies with information about the virus, and don’t click on any links or attachments in such emails. Instead, go to the Centers for Disease Control or World Health Organization websites for the most up-to-date information.
- Don’t make donations, especially over the phone, unless you know the organization and you initiated the call.
- Never order something on the phone or online from a company or individual you don’t know.
- Hang up on robocalls. Answering and talking to them or pressing a number will just get you many more robocalls.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Also, with the potential for checks coming from the U.S. government, scammers will be calling and emailing, saying they are from the government and asking for personal information like Social Security numbers or credit card or bank numbers, or claiming they can help you get your payment. The government will never call or email you for these purposes.
If you believe you’ve been the victim or a scam, please call the Lincoln Police Department at 781-259-8113. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at USAMA.victimassistance@usdoj.gov, or call 888-221-6023 and leave a message or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center by visiting www.IC3.gov.
The U.S. Secret Service has also issued a warning to Americans about Covid-related “phishing” scams (the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies to entice individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.) Cyber criminals are exploiting the coronavirus emergency with mass emails posing as legitimate medical and or health organizations.
The Food and Drug Administration also warns that products claiming to cure, treat, or prevent serious diseases like Covid-19 may cause consumers to delay or stop appropriate medical treatment, leading to serious and life-threatening harm. Fraudulent Covid-19 products may come in many varieties, including dietary supplements and other foods, as well as products purporting to be drugs, medical devices or vaccines.
The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission jointly issued warning letters to Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., Xephyr, LLC doing business as N-Ergetics, GuruNanda, LLC, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC, and The Jim Bakker Show. The products cited in these warning letters are teas, essential oils, tinctures and colloidal silver. The FDA has previously warned that colloidal silver is not safe or effective for treating any disease or condition.
Checking on claims
An easy way to check the truthfulness of almost anything you hear or read online is through FactCheck.org or Snopes.com, which has a Covid-19 section. Snopes presents claims about all sorts of things and then labels them “true,” “false,” “mixture,” “scam” or “unproven” with explanations. Here are some of the claims that the site has researched (see below for answers or click on the questions):
- Will Sipping Water Every 15 Minutes Prevent a Coronavirus Infection?
- Did Corona Beer Sales Drop Sharply Due to Fear About the Coronavirus?
- Is Coronavirus Spreading Faster Than SARS, Ebola, and Swine Flu?
- Can You Get a Free Coronavirus Test by Donating Blood?
- Was COVID-19 Discovered in the U.S. and South Korea on the Same Day?
- Can a Homemade Tito’s Vodka Hand Sanitizer Help Stem Coronavirus?
(Answers: 1=false, 2=false, 3=mixed, 4=false, 5=true, 6=false)