ROANOKE, Va. (WAVY) — Federal and state law enforcement agencies have formed the Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force to investigate scams during the pandemic.
The task force will involve the assistant United States attorneys from the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the FBI and Virginia State Police.
They will review and investigate cases of fraud associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
- Treatment scams
- Supply scams
- Provider scams
- Charity scams
- Phishing scams
- App scams
- Investment scams
- Price gouging scams
“Fraudsters are already attempting to use the coronavirus pandemic to scam vulnerable victims,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia G. Zachary Terwilliger wrote in a news release.
The FBI also released helpful tips for Virginians trying to avoid fraud:
- Do not open attachments or click links from unrecognized email senders
- Verify information is being shared by a legitimate source
- Do not share personal information online
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