Beware of Scams and Fraud

Posted on December 21, 2020

[Updated February 17, 2021]

Beware of scams currently going on. Fraudsters are impersonating the CDC, SBA, IRS and other government, healthcare, and financial organizations, as well as utility companies.

COVID-19 Vaccine Scam Alert

Scammers are looking to make a ‘quick buck’ at your expense off the COVID-19 vaccine. Here is some great information on how to avoid becoming a victim of a COVID-19 vaccine scam.

You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine.
Nobody legit will call about the vaccine and ask for your social security, bank account, or credit card number.

Ignore vaccine offers that say differently or ask for personal or financial information.

Learn more at https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice
OR consumerresources.org/beware-coronavirus-scams.

Protect Your Banking Information

Davis Chamber member, Zions Bank, suggests that whether you’re running a business or managing your personal finances, it is important to stay alert by:

Review your account(s) daily.
Don’t provide confidential information to anyone who is calling you. If your bank reaches out to you, they won’t ask you to provide your username, password, personal identification number (PIN) or other account information.
Update your contact information, so we can inform you quickly if we suspect unusual transactions.
Don’t give out your bank account, debit account, or Paypal account information – even if someone claims it’s necessary to get your stimulus check or other government benefit.
Monitor your account(s) for suspicious activity by setting up fraud alerts.
Create a strong, unique password. Use a combination of upper & lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Update passwords regularly and avoid sharing your passwords.
Go paperless to help avoid mail fraud.
Don’t click on links in emails or online that you are not familiar with. This includes emails with links related to Coronavirus, IRS Relief Funds, or Tax Payments.

Be Aware of Scammer Tactics

Scammers may:

Emphasize the words “Stimulus Check” or “Stimulus Payment.” The official term is economic impact payment.
Ask you to sign over your economic impact payment check to them.
Ask by phone, email, text or social media for verification of personal and/or banking information saying that the information is needed to receive or speed up your economic impact payment.
Suggest that you can get a tax refund or economic impact payment faster by working on the taxpayer’s behalf. This scam could be conducted by social media or even in person.
Mail you a bogus check, perhaps in an odd amount, then tell you to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it.
Offer you grants or payments in exchange for personal financial information, advance fee(s), tax(es), or charge of any kind.

If you receive a call, email, or other communication claiming to be from the United States Treasury that you believe is a scam, visit the Federal Trade Commission for more information.

The White House has advised those who have received potentially fraudulent coronavirus related solutions via text message or email to call the Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-877-720-5721 or send an email to disaster@leo.gov.

Watch Out for Small Business Administration Loan Scams

You or your business may be contacted by individuals saying that “for a small fee” or “a small percentage” they can help you get an SBA loan (or something along these lines). Small Business Administration loans do not have any borrower or lender fees.

The SBA is not going to email you telling you to apply for a loan. Don’t trust emails coming from non-.gov addresses.”

Please use caution and perform your due diligence when considering paying for private services that claim to assist with loan applications. Some may be legitimate, some may not. In some cases, the fees/charges they want to assess may not be allowed under these loan programs. If you have any questions about any of these organizations or the things they are representing, please contact the SBA Utah District Office at utahgeneral@sba.gov or 801-524-3209.

Please contact the SBA if you suspect a scam.

Watch Out for Fraud

Chamber member, Mountain America Credit Union, suggests being on the lookout for fraud in all its forms. Before you click a link or attachment, do the following:

Check the email address of the sender.
Hover over the links to see the full address.
Confirm the identity of the sender via an alternative source.
Look for poor grammar and spelling in emails, texts, and social media posts or messages.
Confirm the identity of anyone contacting you. Offer to call back on a phone number you know to be genuine.

For more information from Mountain America Credit Union click here.

Safeguard Yourself Against Public Utility Scams

Rocky Mountain Power is warning the public of several recent scams targeting utility customers nationwide where crooks posing as company employees try to get money and steal personal information.

The scammers may target customers via phone calls, texts, social media messages, email and by knocking on doors. Please keep the following information in mind to protect yourself and avoid falling victim to a scam.

Scammers will often tell you that your service is scheduled to be interrupted in the next 30-60 minutes. Rocky Mountain Power will not contact any customer demanding immediate payment to avoid disconnection of service the same day.
The thieves may ask you to make a payment with a prepaid card (Green Dot, MoneyPak, etc.). Rocky Mountain Power does not ask customers to make payments by purchasing a prepaid card. You are able to choose how you would like to make your payment (see options).
Rocky Mountain Power will not demand immediate payment for damaged or broken electrical equipment or any other service. Be suspicious of anyone who approaches you by phone, email, text, or in-person and asks for on-the-spot payment.
Scammers may use a sophisticated deceptive tactic that makes it appear to Caller ID systems that the call is coming from Rocky Mountain Power when it is not.

If you are contacted in person, please ask to see the employees’ ID badge. Our employees carry ID badges with their name, photo, the company logo, and verification number.

If you believe you have been contacted by a scammer, note any information – caller ID, phone numbers, addresses for making payments, etc. – and report it to us at 1-888-221-7070, your local police and the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP.

If you are in doubt that the caller or visitor represents Rocky Mountain Power, please call us at 1-888-221-7070 to confirm the person’s identity and role with the company before proceeding with any transaction.

If you are not sure about the authenticity of a billing or other email that appears to come from us, you can log in to your account to review your statement. You can also call us anytime toll-free at 1-888-221-7070.

Dominion Energy will not disconnect your service for nonpayment and is reconnecting residential customers whose services were recently shut off. They are not disconnecting service at this time and will never call and threaten you. If you’re having trouble continuing to pay your bill, contact them about payment extension and assistance options. Paperless billing gives you fast, easy access to your bill and account information anytime, so you’re less likely to fall victim to scammers.

Signs of potential scam activity include:

Aggressive threats to disconnect service (usually within an hour or less)
Insistence on immediate payment over the phone
Request for a pre-paid debit card or credit card to be used for payment over the phone

Dominion Energy suggests:

Never purchase a pre-paid card to avoid shut off— Dominion will not insist on just one type of payment. You can pay in-person, online through your account, or at a designated payment center (all payment options available are listed here).
Verify what you’re being told about your account. Hang up and call Dominion at 800-323-5517 or you can sign in to your online account to confirm whether or not a payment is due, not any other number given to you.
Collect information from the scammer, such as phone numbers or names, to help Dominion and law enforcement track and spread the word to others.

Report suspicious calls, texts, and email to Dominion and local authorities to help prevent you or others from being another victim.

Categories: Coronavirus Resources