Officials are warning Los Angeles County residents, including those in Santa Clarita, to be cautious of different coronavirus, COVID-19, scams, officials said Thursday.

As residents are practicing “Safer at Home” directives, they are spending more time at home and online, and scammers are taking advantage of that, according to county officials.

“Scammers are also taking advantage of this change in circumstances by reaching out door-to-door asking for donations and fundraising contributions through cash, Bitcoin or Paypal,” officials said.

Residents are being reminded of several fraud schemes designed to prey on the vulnerable in the midst of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Reports of malicious websites, email schemes and suspicious links have come to the attention of law enforcement and public officials.

“Malicious actors can prey upon those that are distracted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and use it to their advantage,” said Los Angeles County Chief Information Officer William Kehoe. “The public needs to be mindful and careful, and avoid websites, phishing emails and scams that engage people through false information about the health crisis, and steal personal user information and data. By clicking on fraudulent weblinks, hackers can deliver malware and then gain access to passwords, browsing information, credit card numbers and other personal information. We all need to stay vigilant.”

Currently, there are several coronavirus tracking and mapping sites that are actually malware websites, according to officials.

Instead of clicking on these links, cybersecurity experts advise that website users should instead hover over the link to verify the uniform resource locator (URL) before moving forward. Online hackers may also send users emails from fraudulent accounts impersonating official websites and doctors, or offering medical supplies and services, according to county officials.

The County of Los Angeles is reminding Santa Clarita residents that they are not required to open their door, and encouraging everyone to not feel intimidated by a false sense of urgency to answer door-to-door solicitations, according to officials.

The following is a list of safety tips that Santa Clarita Valley residents can follow:

Avoid online advertising offers related to COVID-19; decline door-to-door solicitations claiming COVID-19 fundraising; do not click on emails and attachments that you do not recognize.

All residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and take these steps to avoid being victimized by malicious scammers trying to profit from the COVID-19 crisis.

For anyone who believes they have been scammed, contact your bank immediately and report the information to local law enforcement.

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