Postal Inspection Service warns of several COVID-19-related scams

BOSTON — Times are tough and there are people looking to take advantage of the rough situation. The Postal Inspection Service told Boston 25 News, there are several scams that people need to be aware of that are targeting people in fear of COVID-19.

The Postal Inspection Service’s Public Information Representative Donna Harris said, “There’s no authorized home testing kit so essentially if someone wants to sell you a kit, it’s a fake so don’t purchase it.”

Harris explain that personal protective equipment has also been hard to come by, even for government agencies and hospitals. So, if you see a good deal online, you might want to think twice.

She explained, “Certainly if you are purchasing PPE equipment, an N-95 mask, cleaning supplies or things of that nature; order those things from a reputable dealer or vendor, as opposed to a site that you don’t know, and you can’t determine if you’re actually getting equipment that you ordered.”

There are many other scams out there such as provider scams which are fake calls that sound like they are from a hospital or doctor’s office.

Harris said, “It’s similar to the grandparents scam where they’ll call and they will say that you had a relative that was in the hospital for COVID-19 and they need payment.”

There are also investment scams Harris explained go something like, “’Get in on the ground floor for a cure for COVID-19,’ when in fact that’s not something that’s happening and that’s a scam.”

The bottom line is, do your research before handing over your money or buying anything that looks too good to be true online.

In addition to reporting things to the Postal Inspection Service you can also call the MA Attorney General’s Office.

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