Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman said police are keeping an eye out for COVID-19 scams.
Scammers have been preying on the fear that has come with the pandemic by advertising fake cures and face mask sales.
READ MORE: B.C. warns of phone scam offering to sell fake COVID-19 testing
The Government of Canada warns against various types of COVID-19 scams including: private companies offering fast COVID-19 tests for sale; consumers are purchasing large amounts of products and reselling them at higher prices; fraudsters going door-to-door offering fake decontamination services; fraudsters urging to hot new stocks related to the disease and fraudulent and deceptive ads.
To protect yourself, the government says to: beware of false or misleading information; contact your insurance provider to answer any health insurance questions; beware of high-priced or low-quality products; beware of unsolicited medical advisory emails with links or attachments; beware of miracle cures, herbal remedies, and other questionable offers like vaccines and beware of unauthorized or fraudulent charities requesting money for victims or research.
READ MORE: Full coronavirus coverage here
“Scams are most effective when they play on our emotions. Recent prevalent examples include the Grandparent Scam, Romance Scams and most recently COVID-19 Scams,” said Foreman. “A very good resource that people can rely on when they have questions or concerns is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.”
