Cyber criminals likely to target those seeking economic relief – report

The COVID-19 outbreak has left millions of Americans out of work – and potential targets for cyber criminals, according to CyberScout, a provider of identity-theft resolution, data defence and employee benefits services. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a consumer scam warning about “stimulus scammers” who con consumers into paying fees to receive a check from the federal stimulus package, CyberScout said. “The fear is COVID-19 and financial uncertainty in the economy is making all Americans especially vulnerable to scams,” said Jennifer Leuer, CEO of CyberScout. “Now we are starting to hear from consumers who are filing for unemployment and learning there is already a fraudulent unemployment claim on record for them. It’s unconscionable. We want people to know there is a way through this situation and they don’t need to panic.”