NEW YORK — It has been over one year since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in New York State. Now, New York Attorney General Letitia James is reminding New Yorkers to remain vigilant against potential scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
James says scammers are posing under subject lines with titles such as "IRS Rescue Plan Dept," “IRS Rescue Plan Act,” “Joe Biden Rescue Plan Act,” “IRS Rescue Plan Form,” or “President’s Rescue Plan Act,” among others.
People using these scams are trying to steal personal information through phishing emails.
James recommends following these tips in order to protect yourself from scams:
- "Don’t be fooled by familiar logos and branding." Emails may look safe and legitimate at first glance, but aren't in reality. If someone reaches out to you claiming to be from the government about either a check or a vaccine, it's most likely a phishing scam.
- "Look for misspellings and poor grammar." When an email has multiple spelling and grammatical errors, that tends to be an indication that the email is a scam.
- "Never open attachments or click links from those claiming to be from the government unless you have specifically signed up for a notification or an email." Be wary of clicking on buttons or downloading attachments, which may allow scammers to download malicious software onto your computer. If you're unsure about a message, delete it.
- "Verify the legitimacy of any unsolicited/unexpected email before interacting with it, especially if the IRS or COVID-19 is mentioned in any way."
"Scammers are out there, and they are continuing to find a slew of new and shameful tactics to exploit this pandemic," James said in a statement. "These cyberattacks are just the latest example of unscrupulous individuals capitalizing on health and economic suffering, and it is crucial that New Yorkers remain vigilant to ensure they do not fall victim to these illegal activities.
"Promises to skip the vaccine line or receive additional stimulus payments are lies, plain and simple, and New Yorkers need to remain alert. I encourage all New Yorkers to follows these safety tips and report suspected scams to my office. We remain committed to protecting consumers’ health and wallets and rooting out fraud."
