The Recorder – Police: Beware of scam artists who are taking advantage of the pandemic

Publish Date: 4/9/2020 4:13:19 PM

Modified date: 4/9/2020 4:13:06 PM

There always seems to be a secret group of faceless rogue artists ready to pounce on any tragedy or devastating event.

Shady Charities emerged after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as fraudsters sent unsolicited emails asking for donations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and more recently, the Bureau of Best Business warned people about the potential for clicking bait and phishing associated with Kobe Bryant after The legendary basketball player, his daughter and seven other people die in a helicopter crash on January 26th.

Now, nefarious individuals are taking advantage of the recent unfortunate situation – the economic downturn caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The country has released information to help residents protect themselves from coronavirus-related scams, including fraudulent unemployment claims and phishing, and attempts to obtain sensitive and financial information or data by disguising themselves online as a trustworthy person.

The Greenfield Police Department has received numerous calls from residents stating that they have received calls regarding an unemployment claim that someone filed in their name.

It’s widespread, it’s happening throughout the state. So it’s definitely not (only) a local issue, Vice President Mark Williams said, adding that there are people who would do anything “to get a profit.”

Anyone aware of a fraudulent unemployment claim filed in their name, Williams said, should contact the local police department to document it. He said his department was directing people to bit.ly/31Vz7oj, a page on the state’s website reporting unemployment fraud. Williams said the state has investigators for this specific activity. The country is also looking for similarities and patterns between cases, he said.

The vice chairman said there was no limit to how far criminals would go to deceive people.

“This is a different flavor of the same kind of fraud that we’ve seen before,” said Williams.

Williams urges people to never give out their personal or financial information unless they are sure of the other party’s legitimacy. He also said that he doesn’t trust your caller ID, because scammers can manipulate them to look like they are calling from a company or government agency.

Police Sergeant Irving. Rob Holst said his department has received at least six calls since June 1 about fraudulent unemployment claims.

He said anyone aware of a false allegation should contact the police. They should also contact the Federal Trade Commission to file an affidavit of fraud. Holst also suggests that people check in regularly with one of the three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to make sure they aren’t an integral part of some kind of scam.

Regarding phishing, the state recommends people beware of email attachments and not clicking on links in unwanted emails. Throughout the pandemic, fraudsters posing as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health care workers have flooded incoming mail with seemingly urgent safety messages and health information in an attempt to steal personal information. More information on phishing can be found at bit.ly/3gSQn1H.

Orange Chief of Police, James Sullivan, said his department had “obtained a raft” of reports of fraudulent allegations. He said he was surprised at how quickly fraudsters have adapted to exploit new scenarios.

“It’s amazing how it always evolves and changes,” he said, adding that unlike the auto-dial scams, these fraudulent unemployment claims have already been filed and tamper with a person’s finances and taxes.

Sullivan also said that some people in the North Quabbin region were subjected to what the authorities call a “cleaning scam.” In a brushing scam, people receive unwanted items from a seller who then post false reviews from customers to increase sales.

One scam Sullivan recalls involved a man he met who bought iTunes cards at Walmart because someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service told him he had to pay taxes with them.

You can reach Domenic Poli at: [email protected] or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.

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