NEW JERSEY—Consumers should be alert and aware of a number of apparent scams related to the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs warned.
To avoid this and some of the tactics being reported as possible scams, the Division recommends:
• Don’t let Centers For Disease Control impostors into your home. Representatives from the C.D.C. are not going door-to-door seeking information or conducting surveillance on COVID-19. Impostors should be reported to local authorities and the Division.
• Don’t fall for fake cures. Beware of in-store or online advertisements for products that claim to cure or prevent COVID-19 or other similar offers. No cure or preventative medicine has been approved for sale.
• Look out for phishing emails. Cybercriminals may take advantage of global concern and interest in COVID-19 to try to convince email recipients to open links or attachments that may direct them to malicious websites or deliver malware. Stay away from COVID-19 related information that does not come from a trusted source, to avoid exposing your personal information.
• Keep in mind not everything online may be factual. The internet is full of information, but be mindful of its accuracy. As false reports spread regarding the origination and spread of COVID-19, rely only on trusted sources for information.
• Be wary of unsolicited calls. Whether they are offering health insurance, including to supplement Medicare or Medicaid benefits, or a cure or treatment for COVID-19, refrain from sharing your personal information over the phone, unless you have initiated the call.
• Avoid internet adoption scams. Scammers are falsely misrepresenting themselves as C.D.C. employees, and asking victims to send money overseas to adopt a pet being held at a quarantine station. The C.D.C. does not quarantine pets or would not ask for payment to bring an animal into the U.S.
If you believe price gouging is occurring, contact the Division of Consumer Affairs at (973) 504-6240. A special voicemail box has been set up to address COVID-19 related price gouging complaints and will be checked regularly, even outside of normal business hours. Leave your name, contact information, nature of the complaint, and the name and location of the business. Consumers should note the price of a good or service being sold, as well as the price prior to the declared State of Emergency, if known.
