Terry McNamee
Special to the Beaver
While people are dealing with the fears connected with COVID-19 and the stresses of self-isolation, some people are taking advantage of those fears with online and telephone scams involving ‘cures’ and fake fundraising.
Det. Const. John Armit of the Ottawa office of the Ontario Provincial Police Anti-Rackets Branch last Tuesday that the number of complaints are trending upward, and that many victims are seniors. The scams currently most common in eastern Ontario, he said, is phishing — sending out mass unsolicited emails that contain links to click on — from groups claiming to be the World Health Organization asking for donations, or supposedly from Health Canada telling people to click a link for more info. He said these fake emails use addresses very similar to the real thing, so people need to be careful and never click on the links.
“Those are red flags for us,” he said.
Once a link is clicked, the scammer can install malware on a computer, and will send many more unwanted emails hoping a victim will take the bait and send money. Buying products from such emails is also very dangerous.
“It’s buyer beware if you’re going to purchase medical supplies online,” he added, warning, “If you’re a victim once, chances are they’re going to try to contact you again.”
Online ads on social media platforms such as Facebook also tout an assortment of fake cures and medicines that are supposed to prevent COVID-19. Don’t fall for these, he said.
“We always tell people to be their own detective,” Armit said. “Take the time to view the material before sending any money.”
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has discovered nearly a dozen COVID-19 scams currently making the rounds by phone, online and in person. They include but are not limited to selling tests for COVID-19 (in fact, only hospitals are authorized to do the testing); reselling products, some of which may be of low quality or expired, at greatly inflated prices; fake decontamination services being offered door to door; and people posing as police charging fines to people for wearing medical masks in public (wearing these masks is not illegal); and the phishing emails.
People need to be wary of ads for miracle cures, herbal remedies and other questionable offers such as vaccinations or faster tests. There is currently no vaccine against COVID-19 and tests can only be arranged by a doctor. No medications have been approved to treat this disease.
To get the latest information, go to the Public Health Agency of Canada at www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html or the World Health Organization at www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
To report a fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca.