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Coronavirus scams have already cost consumers millions, FTC says

These scams range from travel refund deceptions to mobile texting scams to fraudsters posing as the government.

Erin Carson Former Senior Writer
Erin Carson covered internet culture, online dating and the weird ways tech and science are changing your life.
Expertise Erin has been a tech reporter for almost 10 years. Her reporting has taken her from the Johnson Space Center to San Diego Comic-Con's famous Hall H. Credentials
  • She has a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
Erin Carson
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Coronavirus scams are surging, says the FTC.

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Since the beginning of the year, consumers have lost $4.77 million to coronavirus-related scams, the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday, with a median loss of $598.

In a post, the FTC said that it's seen a surge in complaints surrounding coronavirus scams. These scams range from travel and vacation refund and cancellation deceptions to mobile texting scams and to scammers posing as the government. They total more than 7,800 complaints. 

The new coronavirus is a type of virus that leads to the respiratory disease COVID-19. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic in March. As of Wednesday, the coronavirus has infected more than 877,000 people and claimed more than 43,000 lives worldwide.

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