Robocallers are capitalizing on the coronavirus pandemic, with phone scams tied to stimulus checks being sent by the U.S. government sharply on the rise. Based on our analysis of more than 13 billion calls per month, Hiya data shows these scams increased 844% from the week of March 16th, when the scams first appeared, to the week of March 23rd. They increased another 78% the week of March 30th and an additional 48% the week of April 6.
Hiya identified the most popular scams tied to the COVID-19 stimulus checks, as well as the top 10 area codes currently being hardest hit by these calls.
Most Popular Scams
We first started seeing instances of other coronavirus-themed scams in user complaints in late January. These fraud calls range from health insurance related inquiries, to home sanitation services for virus prevention, to scammers offering fake COVID-19 cures, for a price. Since that time, instances of these types of calls have continued to grow exponentially – with certain regions of the country more impacted than others.
Top Area Codes Where Calls Appear to Originate:
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has opened a prime opportunity for scammers to find new victims, there are measures consumers can take to protect themselves. Below are several tips you can take to stay safe during this time.
Tips on mitigating the risk of scam calls include: