The Top 5 Covid 19 Scams to Avoid:

Even while the COVID-19 pandemic rages, swindlers may attempt to extort from you through deception and campaigns designed to frighten. They will contact you by telephone, texting, snail mail, email, or Facebook and the like. The crooks use conspiracy theories and wild rumors to scare you into revealing personal information. Read on to learn how to recognize and avoid the top Corona Virus and vaccine frauds. Common Covid Scams: Government Checks: Con artists may call you saying that they are from the IRS to help you get your stimulus check more quickly. They may ask for processing fees and your personal information. Do not provide your bank account or social security information for verification purposes to anyone calling. Do not send money for fees. When online, do not click on bank account verification links. The IRS will not call you or threaten you over the phone. rnVaccine and Testing Scams: You may be offered early access to vaccines, testing or even treatment. Medicare recipients are a prime target with offers for testing in exchange for private info. Scammers are also allegedly providing Medicare prescription cards, COVID testing and HHS grants for your Medicare details. Know that the promised services are not legitimate. Only trust your healthcare provider or known organization regarding Covid testing. Medicare officials will not call you and ask for personal information. rnFamily Member Scams: Someone may call you out of the blue claiming to be one of your grandchildren or even a member of the military. They give you a sob story about Covid related travel or medical issues and ask you to wire money to them. Never send funds if someone asks you to pay with a prepaid debit card or wire money. Do not offer personal information including credit card number or bank account information to a caller. rnScams for Charity: You may be contacted by representatives from a sham or even "real" charity asking for your generous donation. Always verify the charities' name, as fraudulent charities have organization names similar to real charities. Never bend to high pressure tactics asking you to immediately donate. And finally, do not assume that you'll receive a tax deduction for your donation. Banking Scams: A bank or FDIC representative will inform you that your savings or bank account are in peril. They will need your personal information to straighten things out. Verify bank and FDIC information using the contact information on their website. Do not click on weblinks asking you to verify your account information. The bottom line is that you need to be very careful when volunteering your personal information over the phone, online and even in person. Scammers will try to take advantage of your generosity or naivety. So be vigilant and protect yourself. Safeguard your finances and your personal identity by not distributing private info such as your birth date, Social Security and bank account numbers. For more information on personal protection visit iprotectt.com,.