2014 photo: headquarters of the real CDC in Atlanta, Georgia
Police in West Haven, Connecticut say that con men have been taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to rob people. There have been reports of people going door to door in the state, cops said. These individuals have been posing as officials with the “CDC,” and attempting to conduct a COVID-19 survey, officers said. In truth, these suspects have been trying to gain access to homes, either to obtain personal information or rob the resident, officers said.
The real CDC–the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–neither has their people going door to door nor has them doing surveys in the field, police said.
“Although there have not been any reports of this activity in West Haven to date we are providing this information to inform the public of this developing issue,” police said. “Please use caution if you experience anything similar to what is described above and please DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR to a stranger. Always check to see or ask who is at your door BEFORE opening it and immediately call the Police for assistance if someone identifies themselves as described above.”
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 has changed American life, at least for the meantime; there have been mixed reviews of the White House response and wildly disparate attitudes on how to deal with the disease. The bottom line: The World Health Organization (WHO) calls this a pandemic. The global death toll is reported at over 6,500 as of Monday afternoon. At least 71 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the United States. The disease is considered most deadly to older individuals, and those with vulnerable immune systems.
The real CDC recommends that in order to reduce the spread of the virus, people stay away from crowded areas. On Sunday, they recommended that events of 50 individuals or more be canceled or postponed over the next eight weeks.
Everyone has a role to play to reduce and slow transmission of #COVID19. Social distancing is one way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This means avoiding crowded places and maintaining distance from others when possible. More prevention tips: https://t.co/bUyobRHpCE. pic.twitter.com/AeEZMPO4oY
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 15, 2020
[Image via Jessica McGowan/Getty Images]
