Question: Can you tell me about COVID-19 scams

Answer passage (source: Australia):
page_title: Current COVID-19 (coronavirus) scams
section_headers: Phishing – Other impersonation scams
section_content: Scammers are pretending to be from real and well known businesses such as
banks, travel agents, insurance providers and telco companies, and using
various excuses around COVID-19 to:

ask for your personal and financial information
lure you into opening malicious links or attachments
gain remote access to your computer
seek payment for a fake service or something you did not purchase.

Tips to protect yourself from these types of scams:

Don’t click on hyperlinks in text/social media messages or emails, even if they appear to come from a trusted source.
Never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for personal or financial details — just press delete or hang up.
Never provide a stranger remote access to your computer, even if they claim to be from a telco company such as Telstra or the NBN Co.
To verify the legitimacy of a contact, find them through an independent source such as a phone book, past bill or online search.


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Describes common schemes associated with COVID-19 and methods for avoiding them.
This is an excellent answer because it talks about online scams going on during the pandemic, and how people can protect themselves from said scams.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: Australia):
page_title: Current COVID-19 (coronavirus) scams
section_headers: Online shopping scams
section_content: Scammers have created fake online stores claiming to sell products that don’t
exist — such as cures or vaccinations for COVID-19, and products such as face
masks.
Tips to protect yourself from these types of scams:

The best way to detect a fake trader or social media shopping scam is to search for reviews before purchasing. No vaccine or cure presently exists for the coronavirus.
Be wary of sellers requesting unusual payment methods such as upfront payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, preloaded card or electronic currency, like Bitcoin.
More information is available at: Online shopping scams.


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Describes common coronavirus schemes and offers advice for avoiding them.
This is an excellent answer because it provides information about the fake online stores that scam people during the pandemic, which answers to the question.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: Australia):
page_title: Current COVID-19 (coronavirus) scams
section_headers: About COVID-19 scams
section_content: Scamwatch has received over 2700 scam reports mentioning the coronavirus with
over $1 114 000 in reported losses since the outbreak of COVID-19
(coronavirus). Common scams include phishing for personal information, online
shopping, and superannuation scams.
If you have been scammed or have seen a scam, you can make a report on the Scamwatch website, and find more information about where to
get help.
Scamwatch urges everyone to be cautious and remain alert to coronavirus-
related scams. Scammers are hoping that you have let your guard down. Do not
provide your personal, banking or superannuation details to strangers who have
approached you.
Scammers may pretend to have a connection with you. So it’s important to stop
and check, even when you are approached by what you think is a trusted
organisation.
Visit the Scamwatch news webpage for general warnings and media
releases on COVID-19 scams.
Below are some examples of what to look out for.
These are a few examples, but there are many more. If your experience does not
match any of the examples provided, it could still be a scam. If you have any
doubts at all, don’t proceed.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Provides links to many debunked scams associated with coronavirus.
This is an excellent answer because it provides information about the scams going on online during the pandemic, which answers the question fully.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent