This Text Scam is Just One of Countless Fake Coronavirus Ploys

This fake coronavirus text scam has been spreading faster than the disease itself, posted on the Richland Police Department's Facebook page as a timely reminder:

See how scammers are trying to take advantage of people using COVID-19?

Please pay attention to text, emails and even phone calls requesting information. They are all scams.

Remember, if financial deals surrounding COVID-19 and/or turning over your stimulus check from the government sound too good to be true, yeah, they probably aren't true.

Fake vaccines, fake masks, student loan forgiveness, charities that don't exist, they are all out there waiting to capitalize on everyone's anxiety, counting on people to make poor snap decisions given the state of some folks' mental fog.

One report has Americans being scammed out of at least $13.4 million so far.

As a rule, never put any money upfront to get money from the government. There is never a fee. Plus Uncle Sam will never ask for personal information such as bank account or credit card account numbers, Medicare or Social Security numbers are off-limits too.

More ways to avoid being tricked here and here.