Financial Crimes

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Coronavirus Scams

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department will not tolerate people who try to take advantage of others during an emergency. Beware of criminals trying to rip you off with scams and malicious emails related to coronavirus (COVID-19). These criminals will try to use fear to steal your personal information, money and property. Also be wary of people trying to sell you products claiming to prevent, treat, diagnose or cure coronavirus. Some people may even try to sell you in-demand household items such as hand sanitizer, toilet paper and cleaning supplies at inflated prices. Don't become a victim of price gouging. Use the following resources to learn more about these scams and how you can protect yourself:

Identity Theft

Identity theft is the obtaining of the personal identifying information of another person and the use of that information for any unlawful purpose. Never give out any personal identifying information unless you initiated the call and know who you are talking to. To learn more about Identity Theft and how you can protect yourself against Identity Theft, use the following resources:

Scams

Criminals are targeting victims with numerous scams designed to earn your trust and steal your money. Often these scams seem like legitimate causes, or even opportunities to help the less fortunate. But they are not. Sadly some people make their “living” by using fraud and deceit to trick unwitting victims into giving them money. Always confirm the cause is legitimate before sending any money. An honest person or business won’t mind if you check their legitimacy, a scammer will.

To learn more about scams and how to protect yourself or a loved one, use the following resources:

Short Videos on Common Scams

Embezzlement

Embezzlement is the theft or fraudulent appropriation of the property of another by a person to whom the property has been entrusted. Annual financial losses due to embezzlement are estimated to be in hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States alone. Embezzlement can devastate a business beyond the point of recovery.

To learn more about embezzlement and ways to protect your assets, use the following resources:

Fraud / Forgery

Forgery is knowingly signing a name, counterfeiting, altering, making, possessing, passing or attempting to pass as true and genuine any item with the intent to defraud. Check fraud is one of the most prevalent types of fraud in the United States, with annual losses estimated in billions of dollars.

To learn more about forgery and tips on recognizing and preventing forgery, use the following resources:

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