Rise in Consumer Fraud in 2020 due to Covid-19

Consumer fraud rose almost 27 percent over 2019 due in large part to fraud connected to Covid-19. The Federal Trade Commission has allocated over $30 million to fight consumer fraud that use the pandemic to victimize the public. Federal authorities recently seized three websites that supposedly represented biotech companies developing Covid19 treatments but were actually engaged in obtaining personal information. 3M recently filed a lawsuit against a Florida company that allegedly sold tens of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks. These are only a few of the frauds involving Covid19.