Online Scams Have Increased During Coronavirus Pandemic

We've said it once and we'll say it again, don't fall for online scams or for that matter, phone scams too.

Rule of thumb is to never ever give someone your social security number or any of your bank account information.  Both are big targets for scammers trying to take your money.

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According to the Lansing State Journal:

Scammers are very good at exploiting uncertainty, said Troy Baker, communications manager for the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan.  They're also good at adaptation, so they increasingly turned to the internet to find prey when an influx of people started working, shopping and socializing over the internet last year.

When it comes to phone scams for example, if you don't know the phone number calling you or it looks like it's coming from another state, simply don't answer the phone.

And when it comes to online scammers as well, don't believe what you read.  People should always know what their standard bills are on a monthly basis.

It seems that younger people are being taken advantage of these days by scammers.

Lansing States Journal tells us this:

That made young people easier targets, Baker said, since they spend more time online.  The organization's annual study found adults aged 18 to 24 were most likely to report losing money to a scam in 2020 and had the highest median losses, at $150.

I think it's important for everyone, including young people, to pay close attention to what's being said by these scammers and to not give them their time or money.

Lansing State Journal passes this along:

The scams took lots of forms.  Fraudsters tried to take money in exchange for goods that don't exist, sell counterfeit items that don't work or set up schemes to trick people into giving away their social security numbers or bank account information.