Scammers have taken advantage of the pandemic since it began. One of the latest examples is this government impersonator scam, in which ads on social media offer to “help” you sign up for a government program that will give you a “free” device and internet service in exchange for money or personal information. While there is a real government program to help people connect during the pandemic — the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program — there’s no payment required to enroll.
Government impersonators can look and sound like the real deal. They often use government names (in this case, the FCC) and government seals to get you to open your pockets or share your personal information. Here are some ways to thwart scammers’ attempts to impersonate the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program:
|