New Jersey officials warn of fake CDC workers knocking on doors
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As governments grapple with attempting to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus, others are trying to prosper off the pandemic.
Authorities across New Jersey are warning residents this week of reports of people going to residences pretending to be Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees.
«The CDC is NOT deploying personnel to make door-to-door visits,» the city of Livingston posted to its Twitter account.
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«There have been social media posts regarding individuals going door to door claiming to be from the CDC,» the Moorestown Township Police Department said in a statement earlier this week. «People should be warned to not let them in their homes or to speak with them. They are imposters.»
Other police departments in the state have issued advisories about similar scams.
«This is in response to certain social media posts suggesting the CDC is coming to your home seeking information about the novel coronavirus,» the Piscataway Police Department posted to its Facebook page.
The New Jersey Department of Health did not say what the alleged CDC imposters were soliciting from residents, be it donations or personal information.
The Federal Trade Commission has warned of scammers trying to take advantage of the crisis through email and donation scams.
The Secret Service this week warned of “phishing,” a widely-used scam where an email appears to be from a reputable company, with the goal of getting victims to hand over sensitive information like usernames and passwords.
In one case, victims received an email from a fake medical organization with attachments purporting to have important information about COVID-19.
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Another scam dupes victims into making donations to fake charitable causes.
“Criminals are exploiting the charitable spirit of individuals,” according to a Secret Service advisory.
Fox News’ Brooke Crothers contributed to this report.
