coronavirus scams and what to do

Coronavirus Scams and What to do

Welcome one and all to another short narrative made possible by our friends over at BargainBrute.com recently voted America’s favorite place to shop online with the Best Online Shopping Deals Right Now. Today we will look at a few of the scams some irresponsible online shopping companies have drenched the worldwide internet in ever since the outbreak of this terrible COVID-19 Pandemic.

Authors note: The information given in this short narrative is for information only and has been put out by BargainBrute as a public service memo geared towards all of its worldwide clients.

Although we have attempted to include all up-to-date information regarding this subject, we do not claim to have all the remedies or solutions available to all internet users. With this in mind, please research all companies you plan to do business with online or offline for your safety.

It would seem, as, in the past, this horrid Pandemic has brought out the worst in some people or businesses. Be alert and be aware these people are using everything possible to get at your hard-earned cash phishing emails, and robocalls offering cures for the Coronavirus are all commonplace. Just remember, as of yet, there is no cure for this horrible disease. They are what they are scams, scams to get hold of your money.

When receiving an unsolicited phone call, the best course of action is to hang up immediately, do not even attempt to talk with them, hang up and block the number if you can.

Scammers are using vitamins in the trillions attempting to tell people that they will, if taken regularly, cure Coronavirus. Remember, there is no cure, so just do not bother with them.

Some online retail companies are even touting home testing kits, marketing them at a tremendous markup. Bottom line, only buy these kits from a reputable LabCorperation or FDA facility. Once again, remember there is no cure, so do not bother with them.

Unlike in other parts of the world, many Americans are receiving generous government checks to supplement them while they help to defeat this disease by working or just staying at home. Do not. I cannot emphasize enough when I say do not give them any personal information when asked either by a phone call or via email.

Some of these unscrupulous companies are even asking for your social security number, date of birth, bank account numbers, or for that matter, any other financial information you may have. Do not think it cannot happen to you as it can and if you have an elderly relative be on your guard at all times, when they strike an older adult this action can, because of shock, result in death no matter what the outcome is. Furthermore, that older adult will never feel safe again.

Author’s note: Normally, if your government needs to contact you about your benefits, then the norm is they will do it by post.

You may be offered remote job placement and if you do forget it, once again, just hang up if they are calling you by phone. Nine times out of ten, they are simply attempting to get you to purchase some form of software which, of course, you will never receive as all they wanted from you in the first place was once again CASH.

Author’s note: The rule of thumb is no reputable company will ever ask you for money upfront. If they do, then they are not for real.

Charities: Most of us like to give to charities even if it is just a couple of bucks. However, pandemic time also brings out the charity scammers, yes, out in their droves, so always research a charity just as you would a company you may be planning to work for. Yes, Research, Research, and then research again, research until you know more about that specific charity than you know about your own family, only then feel free to donate in the way you usually do.

Here’s a good trick, one that many of us forget. As mentioned previously, many scammers are setting up fake websites. Some of these websites are so good that they look startlingly similar to some legitimate online retail sellers.

Many of you who have read some of my past narratives know only too well that I put great emphasis on the three “Rs,” Respect, Research, and Relevance. So with this in mind what I personally do is to check out the date the website was first registered using any WhoIs service. This is a free service and is extremely easy and fast to do. If the site has only just been registered then the chances are that they are using a fake website and have no product to sell you, all they want once again is your hard-earned cash.

Author’s note: while checking the above, it is also a good idea to check out the website’s “about page.” You need to see, at a minimum, the name of the company, where they are based, the date they were formed, contact telephone numbers, emails, and, if possible, team members. Pop over to BargainBrute.com they have a fantastic “about page,” one which informs you of everything you need to know so that you can buy both safely and securely.

Another trick you can use is to right-click on any of the website pages, then click view the page source, hold down ctrl+F and type in published this will then cleverly tell you the date the website page was first published. If it is within the time of this horrid pandemic, then the chances are that it is indeed a fake website, cleverly built but not as clever as you, now you have been shown this nifty little trick.

my dear friends, so many thanks for taking the time to read this short narrative, and I dope it has helped you somehow

So on behalf of the Vandergraph family and every employee at Bargainbrute.com, we “Thank you for shopping with us today.”