ActionFraud has reported that coronavirus-related scams have increased by 400% between 1st February and 18th March.
Action Fraud has received 105 reports from victims, with losses totalling close to £970,000.
The majority of the reports are online shopping scams where people had ordered protective face masks, hand sanitiser, and other products, which had never arrived.
Jonathon, from Milton Keynes, fell victim to this. "I ordered two large containers of WHO-grade hand sanitiser online," he told MKFM. "It said I was purchasing directly from a medical supplier. I never received any order confirmation and the web page has since vanished. How can people willingly scam like this? It makes me sick."
ActionFraud also received over 200 reports about coronavirus-themed phishing emails attempting to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial information.
Sophie, also an MK local, was close to opening a phishing text message supposedly from her network provider O2. "I received a text message from O2 that told me my direct debit for my 'contract' did not go through. I nearly clicked on the link attached, but realised that I don't have a contract. I use pay as you go, so that clearly was a scam."
Watch out for scam messages
Do not click on the links or attachments in suspicious messages, and never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or financial details.
Shopping online
If you are making a purchase from a company or person you don't know or trust, carry out some research first and ask a friend or family member for advice before completing the purchase. Where possible, use a credit card to make the payment, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases.
Protect your devices from the latest threats
Always install the latest software and app updates to protect your devices from the latest threats.
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