Coronavirus: Scammers Attract You With the Headlines

Scammers take advantage of fears surrounding the coronavirus. They're creating websites to sell fake products, and they're using fake emails, text messages, and social media posts as a ruse to take your money and get your personal information.

Emails and posts can promote awareness and prevention tips and false information about cases in your neighborhood. They may also ask you to donate to victims, offer advice on unproven treatments, or attach malicious files to you.

Here are some tips to help you keep scammers at bay:

• Don't click on links from sources you don't know. You could download a virus to your computer or device. Make sure the antimalware and antivirus software on your computer is up to date.
• Stay tuned for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts claiming they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information on the coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Ignore online offers for vaccines. If you see ads promoting prevention and treatment or touting a coronavirus cure, ask yourself: if there has actually been a medical breakthrough, would you be hearing about it for the first time through an ad or a salesperson?
• When it comes to donations, whether through charities or fundraising sites, do a little research on your own. Don't let anyone rush you to donate. If someone wants you to donate with cash, through a gift card or money transfer, don't do it.
• Stay tuned for "investment opportunities." The Commission Securities and Exchange EE. UU. (US Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC for its acronym in English) warns people about promotions online, including on social networks, arguing that their products or services enterprises publicly traded companies can prevent, detect or cure the coronavirus and that, as a consequence, the shares of these companies will dramatically increase in value.