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13:35 16/03/2020
City of London Police, the national lead for fraud, have released some figures in relation to fraud linked to coronavirus.
Over £800k has been scammed from victims nationally so far. Ten of the 21 reports were made by victims that attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers.
Fraudsters have also claimed to be from research organisations via email who claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of coronavirus infected people in their area. To access this information it requires the victim to click on a link, which leads to a malicious website, or they are asked to make a payment in bitcoin to view the list.
Cleveland Police’s Economic Crime Detective Inspector, Jim Forster said: “Although we have had no reports of fraud in relation to coronavirus in the Cleveland area, the figures are expected to rise nationally, and the Force would like to take this opportunity to warn people regarding fraud.
“Unfortunately fraudsters take advantage in situations like this and target vulnerable people. We would strongly advise people to follow the below steps which may help to prevent you from becoming a victim of fraudulent crime.”
More advice and information can be found on our website: https://www.cleveland.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/
Information regarding coronavirus can be found on the Public Health England website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance