Covid scammers are getting creative; fake CDC messages on the rise

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Just when it seems scammers can get more creative, now hackers are taking advantage of the national pandemic to get your money and personal information.

Cybersecurity  business owner Art McFadden says many small businesses and regular average Joe’s are getting texts and emails from people pretending to be the CDC. 

Scammers get your money by sending you a link pretending to be the government – wanting  to compensate you for getting the COVID-19 virus or wanting to send you free test kits.

Other scammers pretend to sent a message from the government saying you have to enter your online Covid identification card.

“Nobody [from the government] is going to email you about getting a Covid ID card,” informed McFadden. “There is no such thing at this time except for the one you get when you get back vaccinated.”

McFadden says it’s a good idea to take a picture of your Covid card and keep it on your phone, but you should never upload it to the Internet. He says just like your Social Security card, you shouldn’t carry it on you.