While much of the world has changed dramatically since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic a few short weeks ago, criminals are seeing it as one more opportunity they can exploit.
That comes straight from Deputy Commissioner Josephine Palumbo of the Deceptive Marketing Practices directorate of the Competition Bureau Canada in Ottawa.
Palumbo warns a new narrative around the virus has surfaced in our many different forms of communications in which the bottom line is to illegally extract money from unsuspecting victims.
“They’re constantly re-inventing themselves, they’re using digital technology to cheat Canadians every day of the week,” she says. “Scammers find new and innovative ways to target potential victims, including seniors, so we say be watchful for any deal that sounds too good to be true, including online and on social media.”
Beware, she warns, of masks or ventilators that might be advertised. These are products that remain in demand, even in the medical field, so any that might be circulating for sale could well be defective or expired.
She also warns of any products that purport to help to prevent or cure the virus or even test it with at-home tests. Health Canada, she points out, has not approved any such product.
“The important thing for us at the Competition Bureau is that we want to make sure that Canadians are aware that we are aware of what’s happening in the marketplace. We’re ready to respond to the coronavirus situation,” she says.
The Competition Bureau suggests being aware of the following schemes to help potential victims protect themselves:
* Resellers that might be selling expired or lower quality products;
* Companies claiming to sell filters or air purifiers that could filter COVID-19 without having proper testing to back up those claims;
* Maps of COVID-19 cases as they evolve which actually download malware which infects your computer and personal data;
* Door-to-door sellers falsely representing themselves as health officials;
* Issues related to terms and conditions for cancelled trips and events;
* Deceptive marketing, including the use of caller I.D. spoofing.
