States, Federal Government Coordinating Efforts To Fight Coronavirus Fraud
- April 08, 2020
Bloomberg Law (4/7, Subscription Publication) reports law enforcement officials are “facing emerging fraud schemes, from Covid-19-related consumer fraud to potential antitrust and securities law violations and price-gouging.” DOJ, the newly established Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief (SIGPR), “and state attorneys general offices around the country are simultaneously ramping up” efforts to fight fraud related to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr has instructed federal prosecutors to “prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Covid-19-related fraud schemes.”
CNN (4/7) reports on the spike in fraud complaints fielded by the Federal Trade Commission about scams related to the coronavirus outbreak, reporting security experts say scammers “are taking advantage of the global crisis to peddle bogus products and services to frightened consumers, hack people’s personal information, and even blackmail people for direct payments. Following news of the government’s $2 trillion rescue package, scammers are also working hard to get their hands on people’s $1,200 stimulus checks.”