To the Editor:

As with any crisis that involves fear and uncertainty, scammers and fraudsters are coming out of the ground like night crawler worms on a rainy night. A number of scams, including false cures for the coronavirus, have been promoted during this pandemic.

Former discredited TV evangelist Jim Bakker was recently sued by the state of Missouri for huckstering a phony cure for COVID-19. He refers to the cure as Silver Solution that costs $80 a bottle.

You may recall Bakker using his Praise the Lord Club, a Christian television program he operated during the 1980s to steal money. Bakker fleeced his flock of millions of dollars in overpriced products and phony trips to his religious theme park. This prompted some to refer to the PTL Club as the Pass the Loot Club.

Bakker spent several years in jail for this fraudulent behavior. With his recent COVID-19 cure fraud, Bakker is underscoring the adage, “A leopard never changes its spots.”

Be alert for other scams. Never send money to anyone who requests it immediately during a phone call.

Another scam involves two people coming to your home with the claim of having a device that can detect coronavirus. Once in your home, one fraudster will distract you while the second thief looks for anything of value to steal.

Scams involving assisting people to get their unemployment compensation and/or the $1,200 government-promised check quicker have been reported. Do not provide anyone either over the phone or email your Social Security number, credit card or debit card number, checking account number or any personal identifying information.

Scam emails using fear to get you to send money can look very authentic, including logos for the World Health Organization, your bank, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the IRS and the U.S. government.

Other scams are requests for donations to a charity. If you receive a call for a donation, kindly tell the caller you never respond to a request for money over the phone. They will express how urgent it is to donate now. That is the scam. At that point, hang up the phone.

Be on the alert for any of these scams. If you think you were approached by a fraudster, contact your local police department, mayor or government leader.

In Coplay and Whitehall, you can also contact Coplay Neighborhood Crime Watch at 610-751-7245 or email billleiner@aol.com to report a fraudster. The CNCW’s fraud alert member will follow up on your tip and relay to you any learned information.

Bill Leiner Jr.

Coplay