Connecticut Attorney General William Tong says his office is hearing about several scams related to the COVID-19 situation, ranging from offers of quick testing and cures, to promising expedited delivery of stimulus checks.
Tong warns with people out of work and worried about financial situations, vulnerabilities exist.
“We’re all at risk. No matter who you are. No matter how sophisticated you think you are, we’re all at risk of being scammed,” he said.
Two scams stand out. One is a repackaging scam. People are asked to re-label packages from home and re-mail them. Tong says people aren’t getting paid for their services and the packages are generally stolen goods.
“What we’re finding is that people are unwittingly being brought into potentially criminal schemes where they are moving stolen property,” said Tong.
Another scam the attorney general warns against is one where the scammers prey on someone’s desperation to find a job. They either offer a job directly or services to find one but require an application fee.
“No legitimate employer is going to ask you to pay money to them in order to get a job,” he explained.
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Simply put, Tong says if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“Would someone be calling asking for your Social Security number? Would they be calling you asking for your credit card number? In almost all cases, no. Don’t give it out,” he said.
If you feel you are being scammed, Tong says to call the Department of Consumer Protection or the Attorney General’s Office. There is also a place on the Attorney General’s website where a complaint can be filed.
