LONDON (Reuters) – Victims in the United Kingdom have lost more than 800,000 pounds ($1 million) to coronavirus-linked scams since last month, with criminals tricking fearful people who wanted to buy protective masks, police said on Friday.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) said there had been 21 reports of fraud since Feb. 10, many of which involved scams over masks, with one victim paying 15,000 pounds for masks that never arrived.
Demand for face masks has surged in North America, India, China and Europe since the outbreak of the virus, with Washington considering invoking special powers to boost the production of masks and other protective gear.(Reuters)
