Scott Urges Awareness of COVID-Related Scams

North Charleston, S.C. – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more and more Americans are being solicited by scammers seeking to prey on peoples’ fears and insecurities. The office of U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) was made aware of one such scam today, which involves criminals posing as Senator Scott and other public figures offering “emergency grant dollars” in exchange for a percentage of the promised amount. The perpetrators utilize WhatsApp or Gmail accounts to reach their targets, and have asked for anywhere between $450 and $10,000 in exchange for a larger amount later.

Senator Scott’s office is only aware of one such case utilizing his name and likeness, but has been made aware the same scam uses a variety of different names. Even one person being taken advantage of during these challenging times is too many, and Senator Scott wants to spread as much awareness as possible on this issue.

“It is a special kind of evil to target vulnerable communities during a pandemic, and these scammers should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Scott said. “I have shared what we know with the Department of Justice, and encouraged them to take swift action against any and all criminal parties involved. I also want to encourage Americans to be vigilant during these tough times, and to always closely protect their personal and financial information.”

###