During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have seized on the opportunity to take advantage of people through a new set of scams.

Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn says many scam artists have been using things like false economic stimulus checks and coronavirus testing in an attempt to get people’s banking information. He says a scammer even tried to take advantage of him through a “COVID Insurance Payment Invoice” scheme through email. Vaughn warns people to never take calls or emails from people you don’t know at their face value, and to always check with law enforcement before giving money or account information to anyone.

Additionally, he says there’s been a new kind of scam that has taken advantage of people’s quarantine blues, by getting them to participate in various lists on social media. Vaughn points out that most lists are harmless, but you should still be careful about just how detailed you get when filling them out. “That’s an opportunity for people out there searching to be able to get a lot of personal information about you. So be careful of what you’re listing. I know those lists are fun, they’re neat to read, and very interesting (how) you get to know a little bit about some of your friends and coworkers. But be careful of what kind of information you’re putting out there that someone else might be privileged to see.”

To learn more about this and other COVID-19 topics, click the link below to listen to the recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Vaughn.

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2020/04/17/lets-talk-dallas-county-4-17-2020-eric-vaughn/