The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has warned individuals against being exposed to fraud related to the emerging corona virus (COFED-19), in a number of countries, calling for caution and caution when purchasing any medical supplies over the Internet during this period, explaining that with the increasing demand On masks and medical supplies worldwide, fraudsters have opened fake stores on the Internet to sell these items with the aim of electronic fraud.
And "INTERPOL" said on its official website, that it had detected fraudsters benefiting from individual anxiety and fraud on the Internet, calling on individuals to exercise caution when purchasing medical supplies over the Internet during the current health crisis.
She pointed out that with the rise in demand for surgical masks and medical supplies, and with the difficulty of finding them in retail stores in some countries, fake stores and websites, accounts on social media, and email addresses appeared, claiming to sell these items on the Internet, adding that there Individuals have fallen victim to these scammers, and their money has been seized.
And "INTERPOL" considered that these methods are one of several types of financial fraud schemes associated with the ongoing global health crisis, which were reported by "INTERPOL" by the authorities in its member countries.
Interpol reviewed some of the Corona virus-related fraud schemes, which include telephone fraud, where criminals contact victims and pretend they are responsible in the clinic or hospital, and claim that one of their relatives fell ill and ask them for medical treatment payments.
The Secretary-General of INTERPOL, Jürgen Stock, said that criminals are taking advantage of the fear of Corona to deceive the innocent people who are looking to protect the health of their loved ones, adding that anyone who thinks about purchasing medical supplies over the Internet must verify that he is dealing with a legitimate company. And with a good reputation, otherwise he lost his money.
He pointed out that the financial losses reported by "Interpol" amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars in one case, and these crimes cross international borders, adding that the Financial Crimes Unit in "Interpol" receives information from member countries on a daily basis, in relation to cases Fraud and requests to help stop fraudulent payments, and the target victims were located primarily in Asia, but criminals used bank accounts located in other regions such as Europe, to appear as legitimate accounts linked to the company being impersonated.
Stock mentioned that INTERPOL helped 30 fraud cases related to Corona in Asia and Europe, which led to the banning of 18 bank accounts and the freezing of more than $ 730,000 in suspected fraudulent transactions.
INTERPOL also issued a purple notice to alert the police of all 194 member states to this new type of fraud.
Potential fraud
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has advised individuals, when purchasing medical supplies over the Internet, or receiving e-mail messages or links providing medical support, to pay attention not to engage in a possible fraud. She stressed the need to verify the company or individual who displays the medical material before making any purchases, and check on fake websites, criminals often use a web address that looks almost identical to the legitimate address, check online reviews of a company before making a purchase, and take caution if requested You are required to make a payment to a bank account located in a country different from the company's whereabouts, and in the event of a person being a victim of fraud, he must contact his bank immediately to stop the payment.