HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut announced a joint state-federal COVID-19 fraud task force, which will work to combat COVID-19 related fraud in the state.
Attorney General William Tong, U.S. Attorney John Durham, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chief State's Attorney Richard Colangelo announced the task force Wednesday. Officials say it will investigate and prosecute a "wide range of misconduct" related to the COVID-19 pandemic including:
- Price Gouging
- Health care and government program fraud
- Consumer and small business scams
- Lending scams
- Charities fraud
- Cyber Fraud
Officials say violators may face civil fines and penalties and/or federal criminal prosecution.
“To those who seek to use this crisis as an opportunity to cheat, scam and defraud—stop. The Office of the Attorney General is working hand in hand with our state and federal enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute COVID-19 related misconduct. Our office has received over a thousand complaints regarding price gouging, scams and other schemes and our attorneys and investigators are following up on each and every one. If you are aware of COVID-19 related fraud and abuse, we want to know about it,” Attorney General Tong said in a release.
The COVID-19 task force highlighted key areas of concern including stimulus check scams. The task force said the federal government would never charge fees or ask people for money in order to receive their check. Additionally, the federal government would never call to ask for a social security number, bank account or credit card number.
The group also warned about price gouging as officials follow up on hundreds of complaints including various types of health and medical resources necessary to respond to the spread of COVID-19.
The task force is also urging residents to be on alert for COVID-19 related cyber fraud. The Office of the Attorney General says it is aware of numerous reports of phishing attempts through e-mail and text message regarding COVID-19 assistance and related aid.
As residents look for relief for mortgage and student loans, officials say scammers often prey on those "facing financial hardship." They urge borrowers who are having difficulty making their monthly mortgage or student loan payments to be wary of scams promising bogus relief. Officials say they often require illegal up-front and reoccurring fees with scammers making deceptive claims regarding their ability to secure loan forgiveness.
Connecticut residents may report COVID-19 related fraud to the task force by contacting the Office of the Attorney General via email at attorney.general@ct.gov or by calling 860-808-5318.
In addition, residents may report COVID-19 related fraud to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or by visiting www.justice.gov/disastercomplaintform
