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According to the Federal Trade Commission, fraud related to the Covid pandemic has cost Americans $ 382 million.
As of Tuesday, more than 217,000 people had filed a coronavirus-related fraud report with the agency since January 2020, according to federal data. The median loss was $ 330.
Still, the losses were further distanced for the elderly: $ 500 for the 70-year-olds and $ 900 for the 80-year-olds.
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Criminals have used various avenues to steal money from unsuspecting Americans, including crimes related to financial relief, such as stimulus checks and unemployment benefits, fake treatments for Covid-19, and fraudulent charities.
“While people are afraid of their health and finances, scammers have a field day,” Lucy Baker, a consumer advocacy partner for U.S. advocacy group PIRG, told CNBC.
The Office of Consumer Financial Protection filed 542,300 pandemic-related complaints in 2020, 54% more than in 2019.
Americans began filing more than 3,000 complaints mentioning coronavirus keywords almost every month beginning in April 2020, according to the Bureau, a federal agency that handles financial infractions affecting consumers.
“The pandemic has been one of the most disturbing long-term events we will see in our lives,” said Dave Uejio, acting director of the CFPB. “It’s no surprise that the shock waves it sent across the planet were felt deeply in the consumer financial market.”
Credit and consumer complaints accounted for more than 58% of global complaints, followed by those related to debt collection (15%), credit card (7%), check or savings (6%). ) and mortgages (5%). Not all of these complaints were necessarily related to Covid.
Identity theft has also been a frequent problem in relation to unemployment benefits collected during the pandemic.
About 60,000 people have reported identity theft to the FTC since last year. The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday launched a website for Americans whose personal data was stolen and used to claim fraudulent unemployment benefits.
Americans are also victims of scams related to the deployment of Covid vaccines.
According to Rublon, an online security company, a most common cyber scam during the pandemic has been an “early access vaccine” scam. Scammers send emails, text messages and phone calls claiming to have access to a vaccine before official government sources.
The FTC’s $ 382 million figure likely underestimates the scope of the fraud, as it is based on detailed incidents by consumers. Many may not have been reported.
“We all need to be alert,” Baker said. “Before clicking, pause first.
“Do your research and ask yourself if this website, email, text, direct message or call is legitimate,” he added. “Be wary of handing over your money or personal information”.