As of March 29, 1,264 people have already been infected with the coronavirus in Russia. Measures have been taken to combat the spread of infection. The President of the Russian Federation spoke about them in his pandemic message... Shopping centers are closed, next week will be a non-working week, but so far the number of infected is increasing daily.
People are afraid for their health and the health of their relatives. This is shamelessly used by scammers. Yes, at all times there have been such individuals who, even in the most difficult period for the country, think about their own benefit and try to deceive someone else's property or money. We present to you the top 7 divorce schemes: how scammers profit from the coronavirus.
7. Sale of antiseptics and protective masks
It's no secret that there are no antiseptics or protective masks on sale for a long time. As for the latter, someone tries to sew them on their own, someone buys through friends, but most are looking for options on the Internet. And of course they find it. We are not suggesting that everyone who sells such products is a scam. Even if the deal goes through, the price will be cosmic. In addition, one cannot be completely sure that antiseptics and masks meet quality standards.
As the saying goes, "these are still flowers." Usually kind sellers are ready to provide the necessary goods, but only in bulk. The buyer pays an impressive amount and the seller disappears. There are also more advanced divorce schemes. For example, not so long ago a certain girl sold masks in bulk at Avito. A clever scheme: the buyer sent her his personal data, and he did not even think that they were scammers. The account is now blocked, but some Russian businessmen have lost their money. What can we say about ordinary citizens. A thousand rubles, two or three - because of this amount, even a criminal case will not be opened, but for someone this amount matters.
6. Sale of medicines, miracle devices and tests
At the moment, there is no "magic pill" for COVID-19. Meanwhile, scammers offer them on the Internet or through paper ads (at bus stops, at entrances). Daredevils walk around the apartments and communicate with potential buyers in person. The latter option is very dangerous for lonely old people, they are easily deceived. In addition, everyone knows that older people very often die from this infection. The fraudsters pose as employees of the clinic, management company, or other trustworthy organizations. They can even show the documents, and the victim will not have any suspicions.
As a rule, prices for medicines, tests and disinfectants are prohibitively high. Several cases of the sale of "miracle devices" have already been recorded, and the buyers were sure that they were incredibly lucky. If you do not want to be deceived, do not panic and do not look for a remedy that will save you from the coronavirus. Only doctors are involved in the treatment, they will definitely not go from door to door and impose their services on the Internet.
5. Disinfection
Also the old scheme, which replaced the "fake" checks of gas equipment or meters. Fraudsters introduce themselves as employees of the epidemiological service and talk about the introduction of mandatory disinfection of apartments. At the end of the "work", they are likely to demand payment. Another option: after disinfection, not viruses will disappear from the apartment, but money and other valuables. Similar cases have already occurred in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Republic of Karelia. In order not to become a victim of "disinfectants", it is better not to open doors to strangers.
4. Donations
An unfavorable situation is developing in the country, when everyone is for himself. Most have attacks of aggression towards the infected who brought the virus to a particular city. Few will agree to help their neighbor, but the scammers will make it so that even the most heartless person donates a couple of hundred for the treatment of lonely old people or the purchase of gauze bandages for children from an orphanage. Yes, they stop at nothing. Coming up with heart-warming stories about the coronavirus that has swept through social institutions. Most often, people agree to help, all the more it is not necessary to donate a large amount. This is what the calculation is made for. If everyone gives the fraudsters at least one hundred rubles, they can get rich quite well. Shelters and nursing homes will not raise money this way. There is funding from the state for this.
3. Letters from medical organizations
The most popular way to get divorced. Attackers send letters that look like official messages from government and medical organizations. The topic can be anything: statistics, rules of conduct. Usually there is a link in the letter, you need to follow it and download the information. In this case, you must enter your personal data.
The consequences can be very diverse. The most favorable outcome of events: you will receive more spam in your mail. Or fraudsters can take over personal data, steal money from your card, or access a page on social networks. You should be more careful and avoid such mailings. If you are interested in the information, go to the official website of the sender. If there are indeed some events, they will definitely not forget to mention.
2. Fake tickets
All international flights have long been canceled in Russia, but not all citizens of the country have managed to return from abroad. An unpleasant situation happened with Ural Airlines. The scammers copied the airline's website and sold tickets for non-existent flights. People want to go home and are willing to pay any amount. It is necessary to enter information about the card, as all the money that was on it will be written off immediately. Of course, you will not receive any ticket. In order not to be deceived, you should be aware of the latest events. If you are in any doubt, call the company's hotline.
There is one more scheme. Here swindlers act at random. They find potential victims and offer to sell them a charter ticket. Such cases were recorded in Moscow. The victims of the fraudsters were citizens of Uzbekistan who tried to leave home.
1. Witchcraft, amulets and charms
The most amazing way to cheat, but, oddly enough, effective. Swindlers sell amulets and amulets against coronavirus, sorceresses read spells and conspiracies. Of course, magical protection against COVID-19 a priori cannot be cheap. For example, an astrologer from Chita became famous throughout Russia, promising everyone to determine the risk of infection with coronavirus by date of birth. On Avito you can find a huge number of "unique" things: from a conspiracy garlic to an amulet worth 1.6 million rubles. People are ready to give their money, many have lost the remnants of common sense from fear. No amulets will cure the disease. Magic is powerless here.
In order not to fall into the tenacious clutches of swindlers and scammers, you need to follow the events that are taking place in the country and not communicate with suspicious people, even on the Internet. Don't panic. If you cannot calm down, use advice from psychologists... Think before you do something, and then no one will be able to deceive you.