FBI: Coronavirus provides criminals opportunities at 'breathtaking' speed
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The FBI on Wednesday warned that the public health and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic are providing criminals with illicit opportunities at “breathtaking” speed.
The agency said a wave of criminals has emerged in recent months as U.S. officials scramble to coordinate relief efforts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE: A patient arrives in an ambulance cared for by medical workers wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 coronavirus concerns outside NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. (AP)
Although “swindles, scams, and outright thefts” are a regular feature of major disasters, the novel coronavirus has provided “criminal opportunities on a scale likely to dwarf anything seen before,” the FBI said in a statement, adding: “The speed at which criminals are devising and executing their schemes is truly breathtaking.”
The FBI has uncovered a plethora of criminal activity in connection with the pandemic ranging from sham treatments and vaccines to bogus investment opportunities in non-existent medical companies.
Crooks have been busted for impersonating doctors demanding payment for treatments. Scammers have used websites and mobile apps to implant malware to steal financial and personal information.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Other criminals have used COVID-19 as a lure to deploy ransomware for payments – a practice the FBI derided as “homicidal in the midst of a global pandemic.”
The agency also cautioned that the criminals are expected to devise schemes to siphon funds from the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, passed by Congress last month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The FBI assured the public that it is partnering with state and local law enforcement agencies and officials to ensure the public’s safety.
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“Americans should take solace that law enforcement, at all levels, has swiftly and uniformly recognized this threat. We are marshaling our collective resources to fight back,” the FBI said.