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Police warning seniors of new COVID texting scam

May 22, 2020 by SouthEtobicokeNews

Just when you think you’ve heard them all.

Canadian and U.S. police are warning seniors and cell phone users of the latest text message scam that is starting to make the rounds to take advantage of COVID-19.

The Thomaston Police Department in Maine posted on Facebook a photo of the alert being sent to people in a text message, which should not be opened.

The message was sent to someone in Maine from an Indiana area code telling them they need to self-isolate because they came in contact with someone who tested positive or has shown symptoms for coronavirus.

The alert also tells you to get tested.

“If you receive a text message like the one pictured, do not click the link!” police wrote on Facebook. “It is not a message from any official agency. It is however a gateway for bad actors to find their way into your world.”

Police said it could be a phishing scam to get your personal information.

“The virus is not the only invisible enemy,” police said. “Be vigilant against all threats!”

Officers say scammers are also targeting seniors with text messages posing as U.S. and Canadian Health officials telling them they need to take a mandatory online COVID-19 test in order to receive the recently approved government stimulus payment.

Police are warning If you receive a similar text message, do not open the link because it is not from an official agency. It is a gateway for criminals to find their way into your wallet, detectives say.

 

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