Hunterdon County Sheriff warns of COVID-19 scams: False test results and fake cure claims on the rise
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – The Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office is receiving complaints from citizens that they are receiving calls from persons and organizations claiming to be from the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) with COVID-19 test results.
“I would like to remind all residents of Hunterdon County about the increased prevalence of internet and telephone crime scams stemming from COVID-19, specifically relating to testing or test results, contact tracing (notification of potential contact with person who has had a positive test result), and fake cures or vaccines, all in an effort to obtain your social security or bank account information,” Hunterdon County Sheriff Frederick Brown said.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website COVID-19 scams increasingly target older people, using fear or false promises for cures tactics, texting or hyperlinks, direct calls and recorded messages.
“Never give out any personal identifiers online, or by telephone such as your social security number, date of birth, credit card, bank account or Medicare numbers to anyone over the phone. If you receive any suspicious calls requesting personal or health information, immediately hang up and notify your local law enforcement agency.
Reporting any scam is the first step to protecting yourself,” Brown said.
The FCC advises caution if anyone pressures you to share information or to make a payment ‘immediately.’ Charity scams are also on the rise and the FCC recommends checking on any charity before donating money, goods or volunteering for them.
To learn more about protecting yourself from scams, click here.
For information about how to protect seniors, click here. and to keep yourself informed about charity scams and how to donate to a legitimate organization, click here.
