State officials warn consumers of new scams involving COVID-19

According to the Federal Trade Commission, they have logged 626,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – State officials are alerting consumers, particularly senior citizens, to be aware of new fraud schemes involving COVID-19.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, they have logged 626,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments.

The FTC says 73% of the complaints involved fraud or identity theft. The scams cost victims a total of $588.2 million, a median loss of $392.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says people should look out for these signs of vaccine scams:

• Requests that you pay out of pocket to receive a shot
• Ads for vaccines on websites, social media posts, emails or phone calls
• Marketers offering to sell or ship doses of COVID vaccines

HHS also warns consumers of scams that include false vaccine claims or pitches of unproven prevention methods.