Attorney General William P. Barr Urges American Public to Report COVID-19 Fraud

Summary

A Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs press release of Friday, March 20, 2020, in which Attorney General William P. Barr urges the public to report suspected fraud related to COVID-19 to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF). It states that Attorney General Barr directed all U.S. Attorneys that week to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus-related fraud. In a follow-up memorandum issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as legal counsel for the district on such matters.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

Press Release

Attorney General William P. Barr Urges American Public to Report COVID-19 Fraud

Friday, March 20, 2020

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Attorney General William P. Barr is urging the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or by e-mailing the NCDF at disaster@leo.gov .

This week, Attorney General Barr directed all U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus-related fraud schemes. In a follow-up memorandum issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen further directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness.

Some examples of these schemes include:

- Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
- Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
- Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
- Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.

The NCDF can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes. The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state Attorneys General and local authorities.

To find more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus .

Updated February 5, 2025

Topics

Disaster Fraud

Coronavirus

Component

Office of the Attorney General

Press Release Number: 20-331

File and source

File: archives-opa-pr-attorney-general-william-p-barr-urges-american-public-report-covid-19-fraud.html
Size: 83,476 bytes
SHA-256: 6ec8f2bcd9c251f74eaab9de9a1ed197db2bfa3a26f0371a47948a62df9e8a22
Our copy: archives-opa-pr-attorney-general-william-p-barr-urges-american-public-report-covid-19-fraud.html
Original: www.justice.gov