In times of crisis, it would be nice to think everybody came together as one, in a joint effort to make things easier for each other.

While most people do their best to help others in difficult times, there are, sadly, some people who only think of themselves and try to exploit the situation – even doing so illegally in some cases.

The Coronavirus pandemic situation is no different. As COVID-19 infects – and even kills – hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, there are individuals and groups running scams to take advantage of the situation and make money at vulnerable people’s expense.

The scams may, for example, suggest you’re being given some money by the government as part of their efforts to combat the virus, or inform you about a vaccine for the virus that you can receive if you send some money, or claim to be selling masks or hand sanitizer, or even simply hack into your computer to gain private information.

Millions of dollars have been lost to these scams – and we think it’s time that stopped! So, to help you avoid falling victim to them, we’ve put together a list of twenty-five tips regarding how to spot and avoid Coronavirus scams.

Let’s get to it…

25. Be Vigilant

Let’s start with a simple one and keep it short and sweet: now that you know these scams exist, be vigilant.

Without knowledge of their existence, it’s much easier to fall for scams, but you’ve got no excuse after having read this article! Keep your eyes peeled and be aware that any offers or correspondence related to the Coronavirus pandemic may be trying to swindle you.

24. Use Common Sense

Another simple one now, but it’s a very important one that could definitely save you a lot of money when you’re exposed to a scam: use common sense.

Most scams offer something that seems unrealistic or too good to be true – and 99 times out of 100, if something seems too good to be true, that’s because it is! Common sense will tell you when that’s the case – and if it looks too good to be true to you, avoid it.