Police Warn: Do Not Click on Links From Spam COVID-19 Texts

From Prevention

As federal, state, and local governments work to protect citizens from the spread of coronavirus, malicious hackers are unfortunately creating new ways to take advantage of innocent people.

On Wednesday, April 15, Maine's Thomaston Police Department posted about a new scam going around in the area: "????SCAM ALERT????," they headlined the post, "If you receive a text message like the one pictured below, DO NOT click the link! It is not a message from any official agency. It is however a gateway for bad actors to find their way into your world."

The fake text is positioned as if it's from local government or even a healthcare facility, saying, "Someone who came into contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/get tested. More at COVID-19anon.com/alert." But as one commenter pointed out, the site doesn't even exist.

"Police said it could be a phishing scam to get your personal information," reported Elizabeth Tyree of WJLA news serving the Washington, D.C. area.

Another commenter wrote that she'd gotten the text a couple times, and that the number identified by the Thomaston Police Department's post is not active: "I’ve got that like three or four times and I’ve called the police on him," she said. "Police run [sic] the number [and] they’ve already shut the phone down."

So, how can you protect yourself if you think you're being scammed? "A good rule of thumb is to never share personal information unless you can 100% validate who you are sending it to," says Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute. "And even so, you want to ensure you are doing so in a safe manner. Any time personal information is being requested over text, email, or the phone, especially if it is being asked for immediately, it should be a red flag."

Rothman adds that even if you are remotely in doubt, do not follow a link. "Instead, contact the company directly you believe is sending it (a bank, the CDC, whomever)," she says. "You can find that on a recent account statement, in a phone book, or on the company or government’s website."

Finally, Rothman says you can report and/or block suspicious messages:

• Apple devices: Tap Report Junk under the message.

• Any mobile carrier: Forward the message to SPAM (7726).

Complaints can also be directed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help them protect others in the future.

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