As the federal government takes financial actions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers should be wary of fraudulent solicitations that appear to be made with the approval or involvement of the Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve officials, or other U.S. government officials. Such offers often promise bogus financial services or sums of money in exchange for either payment or personal information that is used later to commit fraud or theft.

The Federal Reserve provides banking services only to banks, not individuals, and does not communicate directly with consumers on financial matters. There are no individual accounts in Federal Reserve Banks and the Fed has no involvement in these solicitations.

Consumers also should be especially wary of fraudulent solicitations in general. These scams often take the form of e-mail messages, letters, and telephone calls that seek to obtain an individual's personally identifiable information that is later used to commit fraud or theft.

Consumers are strongly urged to verify the legitimacy of potential service providers before entering into a business transaction. Individuals who suspect their personal financial information has been compromised should contact their financial institution and law enforcement officials.

Additional Resources

AARP

External LinkCoronavirus Scams Spread as Fraudsters Follow the Headlines

Bankrate

External Link3 Types of Coronavirus Scams to Watch Out For

Consumer Reports

External LinkHow to Avoid Coronavirus Phishing Scams

Department of Homeland Security - The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

External LinkDefending Against COVID-19 Cyber Scams

Federal Trade Commission

External LinkCoronavirus Scams - What the FTC is Doing

External LinkCoronavirus Scams, Part 2

Forbes

External LinkCoronavirus Scams: Watch Out For These Efforts to Exploit the Pandemic

Microsoft

External LinkProtecting Against Coronavirus Themed Phishing Attacks

National Cyber Security Alliance

External LinkCOVID-19 Security Resource Library

U.S. Department of Justice

External LinkCOVID-19 Fraud

World Health Organization 

External LinkBeware of Criminals Pretending to be WHO