SAN ANTONIO – The number of scams is on the rise as people receive federal stimulus checks to help during the pandemic.
San Antonio’s 210 area code was ranked as the city where most scam calls have been received since mid-March, according to Hiya, a website that provides nuisance and scam call protection.
Recommended Videos
According to data from Hiya, scam calls have increased by 850% nationwide over the past month.
Hiya said the most popular scam call asks for a person’s bank info, saying the information is needed to deposit the stimulus check.
Grocery store employees say 85% of customers are not practicing social distancing, survey finds
The second most popular scam asks for personal information like a social security number in order for the check to be deposited the same day.
Other scams include a fraudulent government agency or company offering loan forgiveness or advances in exchange for the stimulus check, or claiming a social security number is no longer valid.
The other cities where calls appeared the most include Louisville; Portland, Ore.; Atlanta; Dallas; Las Vegas; Charleston, W.V.; Seattle; San Francisco; and San Diego.
“The recent COVID-19 epidemic has opened a prime opportunity for scammers to find new victims,” a news release states, adding that coronavirus-related calls began in late January. “These fraudulent calls range from health insurance-related inquiries to home sanitation services for virus prevention, to scammers offering COVID-19 cures, for a price. Since that time, instances of these types of calls have continued to grow exponentially."
”When will you get your stimulus payment? Here’s how to check
Hiya recommends people not answer or return calls if they do not recognize the number, and to not give out personal or financial information to people offering coronavirus tests or cures.
They also say government officials will not ask for bank account information, social security numbers or other personal information.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM KSAT: