Florida attorney general warns of spike in coronavirus-related robocalls

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday warned about an increase in coronavirus-related robocalls.

She said with many people working remotely and answering an increasing number of phone calls, some may find it difficult to ignore unknown numbers.

“Times of crisis can bring out the best in people, as we are seeing with our brave medical professionals and first responders who are answering the call of duty in the face of this deadly pandemic. Sadly, they can also bring out the worst in people, like scammers exploiting the fear surrounding these challenging times, to try and steal personal or financial information. Floridians need to be on high alert to guard against scams," Moody said.

According to Moody, there are recent reports of robocalls that offer everything from COVID-19 treatments and cures to work-from-home schemes.

Here's one example:

“Hello, this is a call from the Social Security Administration. During these difficult times of the coronavirus, we regret to inform you that we have got an order to suspend your socials immediately within 24 hours due to suspicious and fraudulent activities found on your socials.”

Moody also said robocalls often claim that pressing a number will direct the recipient of the call to a live operator or even remove the recipient from the caller’s robocall list, but don’t buy it. Pressing any button on the phone will likely lead to more robocalls.

Here are some other tips to avoid coronavirus-related robocalls:

• Do not trust caller ID displays. Spoofing technology allows scammers to change phone displays to impersonate government agencies.
• Ignore robocalls, especially recordings offering vaccinations and home test kits. Scammers are trying to sell products not proven to treat or prevent COVID-19.
• Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before taking action or passing along any messages, check it out with trusted sources.
• Consider using a call blocking app or device. Consumers should contact phone providers about available call-blocking options. To learn more, visit FTC.gov/calls.

Floridians should report robocalls to the FTC online at FTC.gov/complaint.

In addition, Moody said, Floridians should be on the lookout for robocalls or any other messages attempting to exploit COVID-19 stimulus payments — as direct deposits are being made now. For more information click here. Anyone who encounters a coronavirus stimulus package scam or any other type of COVID-19 fraud should contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office at 1-866-9NO-SCAM or MyFloridaLegal.com.