City Council of Nogales Warns: Beware of Frauds
NOGALES, ARIZONA, US.- Several ways to steal and commit fraud have been detected by criminals seeking to take advantage of the difficult times experienced by the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The City Council of Nogales, Arizona, announced to the community that they will soon receive social aid checks announced by the federal government.
They warned the community that fraud, identity theft and information theft has been detected by people who take advantage of the initiatives that were put in place with the intent to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.
“Thieves take advantage of an already difficult time and especially vulnerable people through fraud scams,” the local government warned.
As residents begin to receive their advance stimulus checks from the federal government, they might become a target and it is important to be aware of fraud schemes, they said.
Residents will not be asked to verify payment details, nor will an IRS representative request information about the bank account, debit account, or PayPal account.
“If an individual claims more information is necessary for the resident to obtain their financial impact payment, it is a scam. Residents will receive a stimulus check in full dollar amounts and they can cash using the normal method.
Common Fraudulent Tactics
- Caller might claim to be a representative of a government agency or work on behalf of a government agency.
- Caller will request personal information, such as bank information.
- Claiming to offer COVID-19 aid packages, offering loans or the ability to accelerate federal stimulus controls.
- Request payment in cash, gift cards, electronic transfers or cryptocurrencies.
- Unexpected emails or text messages from an unknown number, especially those that claim to be an alert that a check is ready to be withdrawn, or offer COVID-19 loans or aid packages.
What to do if you receive a call, email or text message that you suspect is fraud
- Do not interact with the sender or the caller. Hang or delete text or email.
- Do not click on any link. The links may contain malware that can steal information from your computer or phone.
- Report any suspected fraud to the Arizona Attorney General’s Fraud Task Force
How to avoid COVID-19 scams
- Ignore online deals for vaccines or home test kits.
- Hang up on automatic calls. Especially calls that try to sell low-cost health insurance or home work plans.
- Don’t click links in emails or text messages you didn’t expect.
- Do your research before donating. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation.
