Congressman Warns Americans To Ignore '$1,000 Assistance Check' Scam Messages
Any time there is a crisis, it is likely that a scam to take advantage of it is not far behind.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is warning Americans that the coronavirus is no exception.
“HEADS UP!” he tweeted Thursday, attaching a screen shot of a text message claiming that “Your 1,000 Dollar Assistance Check is ready.”
“These text messages are FAKE and should NOT be clicked on,” he wrote.
HEADS UP! These text messages are FAKE and should NOT be clicked on. Disturbing to see such spam efforts trying to take advantage of people during this pandemic. Stay vigilant, everyone. #InItTogether pic.twitter.com/yvWY228KF0
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) March 19, 2020
“Disturbing to see such spam efforts trying to take advantage of people during this pandemic. Stay vigilant, everyone.”
The Federal Trade Commission is backing up that warning on its website.
Although President Donald Trump has said he wants to get cash into the hands of Americans, neither the precise amount nor the methodology of distribution has been officially determined.
“We predict that the scammers are gearing up to take advantage of this,” Jennifer Leach, an associate director with the FTC’s division of consumer business education, said on the agency’s site.
Leach said warnings usually come after a plan has been adopted, “but these aren’t normal times.”
The government will never ask anyone to pay anything up front, nor will it ask for Social Security or bank account numbers, she added.
“Anyone who does is a scammer,” Leach said, noting that the FTC has a website to check for coronavirus-related scams.
Twitter users also warned against scams related to health:
Coronavirus Scam Alert: a text message is being circulated that looks like it’s sent from the Government. Take extra precautions. Don’t click on any links. #COVID19au pic.twitter.com/NAUu7EsYuM
— AMA Media (@ama_media) March 16, 2020
NOTICE: The Health Unit is getting reports of a telephone scam, where someone calls you and says you’ve tested positive for coronavirus and asks for your credit card number to pay for antibiotics.
The Health Unit WILL NEVER do this. This is a scam. #LdnOnt #Middlesex pic.twitter.com/53neHo6Rrg
— MLHealthUnit (@MLHealthUnit) March 18, 2020
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued a statement on its website poking holes in the narrative of any scammer who claims to represent the government or suggests bank deposits are in jeopardy.
“During these unprecedented times consumers may receive false information regarding the security of their deposits or their ability to access cash,” the statement said.
“The FDIC does not send unsolicited correspondence asking for money or sensitive personal information. The agency will never contact people asking for personal details, such as bank account information, credit and debit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or passwords.
“Consumers may also be contacted by persons who claim to be employed by an agency, bank, or another entity. These scams may involve a variety of communication channels, including emails, phone calls, letters, text messages, faxes, and social media,” the statement added.
“Scammers might also ask for personal information such as bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and other details that can be used to commit fraud or sell a person’s identity. Consumers should not provide this information.”
#WARNING Don’t get caught slipping, scammers are taking advantage of the #coronavirus pandemic by hustling people out of their money. Here’s great info from NC’s AG Josh Stein on how you can avoid scams. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/kIPURUMnga
— Billie Jean Shaw (@BillieJeanTV) March 19, 2020
“Scammers also follow the money,” Dov Lerner, security research lead at the cyber threat intelligence company Sixgill, told CNBC.
“This virus is a perfect storm, at an unprecedented scale,” Lerner said.
Lerner said the basics of protection remain the best, advising Americans not to give credit card or other sensitive personal information to anyone over the phone.
He also warned against clicking links in emails that supposedly go to pages where payments can be collected.
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