Coronavirus scams are part of the new reality.
Hackers and identity thieves have re-designed rental scams and phishing schemes to capitalize on the fear and confusion the pandemic creates in consumers.
“Scammers aren’t taking time off during COVID-19,” says Bill Westrick, who monitors multiple security threats as IT Director for Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, ND. “With the added stress and anxiety we all feel right now, we are more susceptible than normal to fall for scams.”
Stay a step ahead of con artists by identifying some of the most common coronavirus scams. A little research and common sense will help keep your personal information and finances safe, both during and after the pandemic.
1. The phantom rental scam
Before the coronavirus pandemic, putting down a deposit without visiting a property would have seemed suspicious. But scammers are using the recommended social distancing guidelines to manipulate renters into doing exactly that.
Scammers pull attractive photos from legitimate rental properties and offer a great price to tempt potential renters. But they’re offering properties that don’t exist and may be taking deposits from more than one potential renter. The fakes usually have a few things in common.
“If the price is significantly less than what other listings are going for, that’s going to be a red flag,” says Hannah Stiff, state director of the Montana Better Business Bureau. “The inability of an owner to show a property is always going to be a big red flag.”
Stiff adds that any reputable owner or property manager will agree to a Skype or Facebook Live tour of the apartment to ease a renter’s mind. Move on if the contact person won’t provide an address or demands payment by cash, money order or gift card, forms of payment that are difficult to trace.
Do your research
Stiff advises renters to verify a property’s address, photos and neighborhood. Enter the address into Google Street View to make sure it’s legitimate. Drive by the building (or ask friends or family to help) to make sure the photos match reality.
Scammers often use the same address, images or property description for postings in different cities, so anything that pops up more than once during a quick online address search means at least one listing is fraudulent.
If the contact person seems suspicious, explore the neighborhood online or in person. Familiarize yourself with shops, grocery stores and other amenities, and ask the individual about them.
“Ask really pointed questions to make sure that this is the person who’s authorized to rent this unit,” Stiff advises. “Because if they are, they’re going to know their city.”
Younger renters’ familiarity with technology and comfort with online purchasing may make them more vulnerable to this particular kind of scam. Individuals 18-34 years of age represent 42 percent of the rental scam victims reported to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker.
“What that tells is that it’s people that are not as experienced with renting and who don’t know what the protocols are,” says Stiff.
Don’t work with anyone who uses high-pressure tactics or refuses direct contact. Apartment Guide offers additional guidance for avoiding scams and examples of suspicious correspondence to use as a reference.
2. A phishing expedition
Most scams involve phishing, where bad actors try to obtain personal information like bank account and credit card numbers, passwords and personal information like birthdays and social security numbers. They’re trying to access email and social media accounts, computer files and financial information. They might use this information now, sell it or steal a user’s identity over time.
Protect yourself by setting your phone and computer to update automatically and block new rounds of security threats. Change passwords often and set up multi-factor authentication, so two credentials (like a code sent to your phone or a fingerprint scan) are required for access.
Don’t answer calls or texts from numbers you don’t recognize. If you accidentally answer a robocall, hang up. Saying anything or pushing buttons (even if it’s allegedly supposed to get you something you want, like being added to a Do Not Call list), can put you at risk.
3. The “help a friend” fraud
Most people see through obvious phishing schemes. But we may let our guard down with people we know.
“Scammers like to email you and put the name of someone you know in the ‘to’ field,” says Bill Westrick. “Double check the actual email address a message is coming from. Names are easy to fake.
Westrick recommends reading the message with a critical eye. Grammar, spelling and syntax errors or stilted language often indicate fraud.
Bad actors might pose as a “friend” saying they’ve fallen on hard times during the pandemic. They request a wire transfer to help with the rent or a gift card (complete with the card number and pin on the back of the card) to buy supplies.
If you think a family member or friend might actually need help, reach out to them using a phone number or email address you know is correct. Never reply to the original message or click any links within it. If you do, the damage is already done.
4. The fake charity scheme
Scammers have been impersonating legitimate charities for years. These fake non-profit organizations are convincing. Email correspondence links to slick, professional websites. The names and logos will be similar to organizations we know and trust.
Donating to a phony charity isn’t a one-time mistake. Entering your credit card number, address and other personal information make you a prime target for years to come.
Vet a potential charity through the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator or CharityWatch. You can also search IRS files to verify that the organization is really a non-profit organization.
It’s much more difficult to verify the many crowdfunding initiatives and virtual tip jars popping up online to offer financial assistance for people fighting the coronavirus and laid-off workers. The money raised is sent to the organizer, who may or may not share the funds with individuals in need.
“You have to be able to verify the person that set up that GoFundMe account or that tip jar,” says Hannah Stiff. “Unless you know the organizer, you really need to proceed with caution, if you decide to give at all.”
5. The scam that seems official
Our eagerness to relieve financial stress and confusion about stimulus checks, new tax filing dates and the eviction moratorium can lead to confusion that scammers are happy to exploit. Alvaro Puig of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) addresses several common coronavirus scams.
“The IRS won’t contact you by phone, email, text message or social media with information about your stimulus payment, or to ask you for your Social Security number, bank account or government benefits debit card account number. Anyone who does is a scammer phishing for your information,” Puig’s FTC report says tersely. “You don’t have to pay to get your stimulus money. The IRS won’t tell you to deposit your stimulus check then send them money back because they paid you more than they owed you. That’s a fake check scam.”
There is a moratorium on evictions, but that doesn’t mean tenants are exempt from paying rent. Anyone who can’t afford next month’s rent should reach out to their property manager immediately.
“They should provide any documentation they are able to use showing their situation,” says Shravan Parsi, CEO and founder of American Ventures. “Whether that’s a pay stub with reduced earnings due to their hours being reduced or bank statements showing a lack of deposits or documentation from their previous employer showing they were laid off due to COVID, something that shows their situation. And if for some reason a tenant doesn’t have this info, still just come talk to us.”
Since many property managers are working remotely, look for the preferred contact information and new hours listed on the office door, on flyers posted in the building or in letters you received from the property managers. Don’t send any of this sensitive information to email addresses or phone numbers you haven’t used to correspond with management in the past.
6. The health scams
High demand for coronavirus tests, protective masks and other health-related items gives scammers new ways to get our attention. Nicole Russin-McFarland, film director and film score composer with Lucky Pineapple Films, reports that her public relations and management team received correspondence from several unfamiliar companies.
“They are all people seemingly based in China and nearby Asian nations selling masks,” she says. “Companies with odd email addresses peddling unsolicited masks to entertainment industry professionals? That isn’t normal.”
Russin-McFarland and her colleagues were right to be suspicious. The aforementioned Federal Trade Commission article advises not to click on any links from unknown sources. It even advises people not to open emails that appear to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization, as scammers are linking to fraudulent sites. For updated health information, check directly with the CDC or WHO.
Ignore calls, emails and online ads that promise at-home coronavirus test kits, as well. While the FDA has approved one such test, it’s only available with a doctor’s prescription.
Consumers should also disregard emails about products that claim to cure, treat or vaccinate against the disease. There are no safe or scientifically sound at-home treatments for coronavirus and no vaccine has been approved.
Only you can protect yourself from coronavirus scams
Learning about a few of the most common coronavirus scams will help keep your finances and personal information safe. Sign up for FTC consumer alerts to stay on top of the current threats and stay on guard. Because as the situation evolves, scammers will, too.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, medical or financial advice. Readers are encouraged to seek professional financial, medical or legal advice as they may deem it necessary.
Source: apartmentguide.com