Santa Barbara County DA warns of increase in scams related to coronavirus

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office is warning the public about an increasing number of scams related to the coronavirus.

The scams have fallen into different categories. They include selling products that don't exist, overcharging for items like hand sanitizer, emails allegedly from the CDC asking for personal information, and phony charities asking for donations.

The county does have tips to help you protect yourself from falling victim to these kinds of scams. It includes not clicking on links in emails from those you don't know, not giving out your personal information, and verifying web addresses by typing them into your browser.

If you believe you have fallen victim to one of these coronavirus-related scams, contact the FBI here.