The U.S. attorney for Nevada wants to remind potential lawbreakers that his office remains open for business.
Nicholas Trutanich told State of Nevada that COVID-19 frauds have spread along with the disease and people should be wary of official-sounding emails touting a cure or pitches for obscure charities.
“We’re seeing a wide range of scams that are starting to pop up, including fake test kit scams, charity scams, and disaster relief scams that are popping up,” he said.
Trutanich said people are trying to exploit confusion, and people's desire to do something good for the community.
He said his office is working closely with other U.S. Attorneys around the country to keep track of what kind of scams are circulating.
Trutanich said a prosecutor has been assigned to pursue coronavirus-related cases.
"She is coordinating with the FBI, the IRS and other federal agencies here in Nevada and is keeping an eye out on media reports, as well as consumer reports about potential fraud," he said.
One of the most troubling problems that have cropped up during the pandemic is people hoarding necessities like surgical masks and other personal protective equipment that health care providers and law enforcement officers need to protect themselves and the general public.
"If you have a warehouse full of those items and are holding on to them for the purpose of manipulating the market and getting windfall profits, you're going to be getting a knock on the door from federal law enforcement," he said.
Besides giving that strong warning to criminals, Trutanich told consumers to be cautious of emails asking for personal information like Social Security numbers and tax information.
He also warned people to be extremely careful when opening attachments and links in emails. Attachments can have ransomware that infects your computer, shutting it down until you pay the hacker money to release it.
He encouraged anyone with information about criminal activity linked to the outbreak to contact the Department of Justice tip line at (866) 720-5721.
He also said that even though the federal courthouse is closed until at least April 10 and trials have been put on hold, his assistant U.S. attorneys continue to move cases forward through teleconferences with opposing counsel.
Trutanich admits that April 10 is just a ballpark date and the court will decide then whether it is okay to reopen, but no matter what the court decides, he said his office will be ready.
Nicholas Trutanich, U.S. attorney, Nevada