Americans have lost more than $145 million to fraud related to the coronavirus, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which said it had fielded more than 200,000 complaints from consumers, the New York Times reported. Schemes related to the coronavirus peaked in the spring, and they focused on federal stimulus payments and other forms of financial relief, personal protective equipment, and unemployment and other government benefits, the commission reported. The data was compiled by the commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network, which provides law enforcement agencies and the public with information about rampant forms of fraud. The network’s tracker of coronavirus-related cases includes nearly 206,000 reports of coronavirus-related fraud that were submitted to the F.T.C. from Jan. 1 through Sept. 22. The median loss was $300, according to data from the commission. The losses could be higher for older Americans, who are often the target of this kind of fraud, said Lucy Baker, a consumer defense associate at the United States Public Interest Research Group, which shared the data this week. Many of the victims were older, she said. In the months since the pandemic began, government agencies have warned consumers about fraud in which victims are asked for personal data, such as their name, date of birth, Social Security number or Medicare and health insurance information. This information can be used to commit identity theft or medical insurance fraud. The commission accelerated its action against coronavirus fraud in March, when it joined the Food and Drug Administration in issuing warnings related to the virus, telling seven companies to stop selling products that claimed to cure or prevent COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Many frauds also sought cash and personal information from consumers. The F.B.I. issued a warning in June when scammers were advertising fraudulent coronavirus antibody tests.
