Criminals have been knocking on the doors of people self-isolating because of coronavirus and offering to collect supplies for them, then running off with their money and card details.
It's just one of the heartless scams opportunists have carried out during the pandemic, prompting police to issue a warning to those who may be vulnerable to scammers.
A South Wales Police spokesman said: “Unfortunately, there have been reports from across the country of scammers trying to use the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak to defraud others.
“Although these are not widespread scams, we wanted to raise awareness of them and prevent people in our communities from falling victim.
“The following scams are among those that have been reported to have been carried out or attempted elsewhere in the UK”.
Some of the scams that have been reported:
- Cold calls from fraudsters telling people to self-isolate, then pretending to be doing them a favour by offering to take their bank card to get supplies
- Fraudsters pretending to sell personal protective equipment such as facemasks, but never sending anything
- Emails containing links supposedly with more information about coronavirus but which actually lead to a malicious website or demands for payment
- Fake emails supposedly from organisations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization which claim to be able to provide a list of coronavirus-infected people in their area. In fact they contain links to malicious websites
- Attempts to trick people into revealing personal, financial or other sensitive information.
“People should remember not to click on links or attachments in suspicious emails, never respond to unsolicited messages asking for personal or financial details, and do research into any company you are considering making purchases from if you don’t know and trust them”, added the spokesman.
“Remember to ask family and friends for advice, and keep in touch with loved ones, especially if they are elderly or more vulnerable, and install the latest software and updates on devices”.
People can report a fraud or attempted fraud via Action Fraud, actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
For more details on Covid-19 is available via Public Health Wales.
