OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Omaha Police Department are warning citizens about a scam involving those posing as World Health Organization employees attempting to steal information and money.
According to the police department, the WHO will not:
- ask you to login to view safety information
- email attachments you didn’t ask for
- ask you to visit a link outside of www.who.int
- charge money to apply for a job, register for a conference, or reserve a hotel
- conduct lotteries or offer prizes, grants, certificates or funding through email
- ask you to donate directly to emergency response plans or funding appeals.
The department warned that criminals are using email, websites, phone calls, and text messages to scam citizens. Legitimate communication can be verified by contacting WHO through the links below.
https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/contact-us
https://www.who.int/about/report_scam/en/
The police department also encouraged citizens to find information about the ongoing pandemic through legitimate sources and to avoid spreading false information on social media.
"Social media can be overwhelming and provide conflicting information when one includes opinions and unverified information," the department posted on Facebook on Wednesday. "Using websites such as the WHO, the CDC, and our Douglas County Health Departmentpage is strongly urged."
The police also said citizens should research the coronavirus by reading updates from the Nebraska Medicine.
