Are Your Parents Aware of the Latest Coronavirus Scams?

Scammers can take any crisis or concern and turn it into a convincing scam. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no different. Several scams popped up in hopes of convincing people to pay money to “cure” or “prevent” the disease. There are scams for protective supplies like face masks and hand sanitizers. There are also scams designed to trick people into giving out personal information like SSNs or bank account numbers.

Pet Scams

People are home more and have the time to spend training a new pet. As a result, there is an uptick in scams involving pet sales or adoptions. The scammer posts pictures of a pet that’s up for adoption or sale and asks for money to send the pet to you following new COVID-19 guidelines.

You pay the insurance or deposit and once that’s received, the animal will be sent via an airline, courier, or another service. The thing is the pet doesn’t exist. The scammer takes that deposit or insurance payment and disappears. A home care aide could help your parent look for a new pet without falling for this type of scam.

Expedited Stimulus Checks

One of the scams the IRS started warning people about involved the CARES Act stimulus checks. People were getting calls or emails from people claiming to be from the IRS or other government agencies. The caller said they could help you get your stimulus payment faster. You just had to share personal information like your SSN or bank routing number and account number.

Checks and automatic payments go out when the IRS sends them. There is no expedited option, and your parents need to be aware of that.

Phishing Scams

If your parents get an email telling them to click a link to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine or drug, it’s a scam. It may simply ask for a lot of money, but there’s the chance the link could install malware on their computer if they click that link. The same goes for emails that appear to be from a government agency that sends a link to sign up for additional aid.

Fake Cures

Another scam has involved treatments and cures. People are told they can buy the cure or preventative treatment for COVID-19 online or over the phone. These products include everything from lotions to teas. There is no cure or treatment available at this point. Make sure your parents are not falling for a hoax and spending far too much money in hopes of staying safe.

Schedule home care services to make sure your parents are not alone and vulnerable while you’re self-distancing during the pandemic. If they’re the only ones sorting mail, handling phone calls, and managing emails, they may find it hard to determine real warnings and offers from scams. Home care services are going to help.