Glenelg woman who lost father to coronavirus finds cure scam flyer in letterbox
Health authorities say flyers promoting a COVID-19 cure discovered by a homeless man are a scam after a Glenelg woman whose father died of coronavirus found one in her mail.
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A Glenelg resident, who lost her UK-based father to COVID-19, has been horrified to receive a flyer in her letter box touting a prevention and cure.
Janet Mulrooney received the flyer on Thursday afternoon, stating that coronavirus could be prevented simply by washing your mouth with salt solution three to five times a day.
The flyer then goes to claim COVID-19 could be cured through alcohol.
It also asks for a $10 donation and claims the cure was found by a homeless man.
Mrs Mulrooney said she was outraged someone could try to make money out of such a terrible situation as the pandemic.
“People are very vulnerable at the moment and unfortunately they might believe this rubbish,” she said.
A SA Health spokeswoman urged people to remember there are no products or methods that prevent or cure COVID-19.
“While extensive research is underway, there is currently no vaccine or medicine to prevent or treat the virus,” she said.
“We should all follow measures to help stop the spread. Get tested if you have symptoms, practice good hygiene, keep 1.5 metres from others when possible and download the COVIDsafe app.”
Mrs Mulrooney reported the flyer to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch.
Sadly, the ACCC is reporting that scammers are using the spread of COVID-19 to take advantage of people across Australia.
Scamwatch has received more than 4160 scam reports mentioning the coronavirus with more than $3.36 million in reported losses since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Common scams include phishing for personal information, online shopping, and superannuation scams.
If you have been scammed or have seen a scam, you can make a report on the Scamwatch website at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.
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