As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, residents and businesses are falling victim to scams, and authorities and lawmakers are working to reduce financial losses.

As of May 28, the Internet Crime Complaint Center had received almost the same number of complaints in 2020 – about 320,000 – as it did for all of 2019 – about 400,000. About 75% of these complaints are frauds and scams, which presents a challenge to the FBI criminal program given the sheer volume of submissions.

At Federal Trade Commission, Officials Are Making More State-Level Information Available To The Public On The Complaints They Receive From Consumers About COVID-19, With Reports Of Online Shopping Problems Leading list of complaints in most states.

Click here to access the data dashboards.

As part of its expanded reports, the FTC publishes the number of different types of fraud, do not call numbers and other complaints received from consumers in each state. The FTC began releasing data on COVID-19-related complaints in late March 2020 and is now releasing more details on the types of complaints it has received from consumers in each state.

So far, the FTC has received more than 91,000 complaints related to COVID-19 between January 1 and June 8. U.S. consumers said they lost a total of more than $ 59.2 million to COVID-19 fraud. California has reported the highest number of COVID-19-related complaints.

In Arizona, consumers reported losing a total of nearly $ 860,000 to pandemic-related fraud, with a median loss of $ 261. In addition to online shopping, other top COVID-19 fraud complaints from Arizona consumers include reports of vacation and travel issues and mobile text messages.

Consumer complaints about online shopping related to COVID-19 include reports of items that do not arrive or that do not arrive by the promised date and items that are different from those advertised. File a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-382-4357.

As businesses – especially small ones – continue to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report shows $ 130 billion remains in the paycheck protection program, but small business owners are at risk following an unprecedented increase in online scams.

Arizona is ranked 27th in the country with 10,898 loans approved totaling $ 3.5 billion in P3 assistance to date. Currently, the FBI’s PPP Fraud Working Group is investigating $ 42 million in fraud, and the FTC has received 36,000 reports of fraud costing victims $ 46.2 million. Google has reported that it is blocking 18 million fraudulent emails every day.

In a statement, the FBI says it has seen the sale of counterfeit personal protective equipment, fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, and even criminals engaging in predatory behavior online targeting children who are studying from home.

Here are four common current PPP scams and how to avoid them.

Phishing scam: The scammer will send a fake email claiming to be from the SBA encouraging a business to apply for a PPP loan. They will provide a link to click on and request personal information. Clicking on the link infects devices with malware and viruses that steal personal information. Scammers can pretend to be the business, apply for loans, and steal their finances.

The SBA will not send out of the blue emails asking companies to apply. Do not click on any suspicious links.

Fake Fees & Quick Scam: Scammers contact by phone or email and claim that a business has to pay a nominal fee to apply for a PPP loan. They offer to “speed up” the request for an additional fee.

However, businesses will only get a PPP loan through an approved site, and there are no fees or expedited processes. Anyone who says otherwise is a fraud.

Robocall Scam: Scammers call people claiming to be SBA and ask them for confidential information. If a business has ever applied for a loan, they say they need it to verify the account. They use this information to steal funds from the bank or commit fraud attributed to the company.

Keep in mind that the SBA will never call to verify the application or announce their P3 loan program. If you receive a call similar to this, hang up, block the caller, and avoid giving them information.

Fake Lender Scam: Many companies pose as lenders and send you a fake request. Once you fill out the form, however, this company has your personal and confidential information that they can use to steal your hard-earned funds.

Always check the lender before applying for the loan. Only SBA approved lenders can administer PPP loans. To find out if the lender you are applying to is authorized to distribute PPP loans, go to www.sba.gov/paycheckprotection/find.

If you come across a PPP scam, contact local law enforcement or file a complaint with the FTC.

Arizona officials respond to scams

Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) recently introduced bipartisan legislation increasing FTC penalties for coronavirus scams. The bill expands the FTC’s authority to stop false advertising during the coronavirus pandemic by increasing civil and criminal penalties against con artists.

“The increased penalties for coronavirus-related scams are helping to protect Arizona seniors from fraudsters seeking to take advantage of this public health emergency,” Ms. Sinema said.

The Senate also recently approved Ms Sinema’s bipartisan resolution with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) designating May 15 as National Senior Fraud Awareness Day. In March, Ms. Sinema and a bipartisan group of senators urged the FTC to protect Arizona seniors from COVID-19 scams. Since the most severe cases of COVID-19 in the country are among the elderly, the bad actors have used heightened public fears to target the elderly.

Ms Sinema and Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) have partnered with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich to alert seniors to COVID-19 scams and provide seniors with helpful resources in case they need it. would be victims of bad actors.

In addition, the US Senate unanimously approved the Law on Improving Social Security Services for Victims of Identity Theft. The bill creates a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration to help victims of identity theft and more easily resolve cases.

“Arizona residents who have had their identities stolen deserve a streamlined government process as they get back on their feet,” said Ms. Sinema. “Creating a single point of contact with the Social Security Administration allows Arizona identity theft victims to resolve their cases quickly and easily. “

The legislation is approved by AARP, National Committee for the Preservation of Social Security and Medicare, Social Security Works, Association of Mature American Citizens, National Council of Social Security Management Associations and the National Organization of Representatives of Social Security Claimants.