With much of the country in quarantine advised to practice social distancing measures, the risk of scams has spiked. Already, coronavirus-related robocalls have gotten worse as scammers have pivoted to use fear and isolation to their advantage.
On top of that, people are working from home with less security and possible distractions like kids, animals, and more.
The FTC has already slapped companies on the wrist for misrepresenting products with false claims about how they can treat coronavirus. It has also warned nine internet phone companies (VoIP) to stop “assisting and facilitating” illegal coronavirus telemarketing.
However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg of robocalls and malware — two of the most critical vectors for scammers and fraudsters targeting individuals, according to the ID Theft Center.