The phone rings and the voice on the other end tells you that you’ve tested positive for COVID-19.

Except you haven’t. It’s a scam.

On Tuesday, Alberta’s health agency warned residents of a phone scheme in which people are being told that they have tested positive to fool them into giving their credit card information.

It’s perhaps the most ghastly in a littany of scams that have emerged during the current health crisis.

From Facebook ads offering fake remedies, to hoax companies offering COVID-19 tests for sale, Canadian officials have been tracking an uptick of attempts by fraudsters to take advantage of panic over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Alberta Health Services tweeted Tuesday that it would never call members of the public and ask them for their credit card information. And it suggested that anyone who receives a similar call should hang up immediately and report the incident to their local law-enforcement agency.

The recent proliferation of fake advertisements and services linked to COVID-19 first caught the attention of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s attention last week, when fake advertisements for hand sanitizers and face masks surfaced on Kijiji, said senior RCMP intelligence analyst Jeff Thomson.

“Beware of unsolicited calls, texts and emails offering ‘free’ medical/health products, and/or with links or attachments,” said Thomson, the centre’s spokesperson.

“Fraudsters may spoof information of government departments and known charities such as the Red Cross.”

He urged people to stop and think when they come across these messages.

“It’s unsolicited in most cases,” Thomson said. “Do whatever you can to do your due diligence.”

The centre got at least 10 reports over the weekend of the Canadian Red Cross giving away a “free” face mask. The fake ad asks you to click on a link where you can punch in your credit card.

“We have some different variations going,” said Thomson, adding that they haven’t been notified of anyone actually being tricked into sending any money.

“We also received reports of Facebook ads of people offering fake remedies,” he said, listing a few scams. “There is an email circulating offering Ontario green air filters that’s proven to trap COVID-19.”

Thomson said “we just had another report come in of a potential loan scam,” targeting people facing financial hardship because of COVID-19.

The national agency posted notices to its website alerting the public to “be on the lookout for associated scams. Fraudsters want to profit from consumers’ fears, uncertainties and misinformation.”

Canadian Red Cross officials confirmed that they are aware of the face mask scam and people have actually visited local branches in search of the free mask.

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“We’ve had a number of calls from people telling us that they were receiving these text messages,” said Leianne Musselman, a Canadian Red Cross spokesperson.

“We are putting out a statement, because in these challenging times, we don’t want anyone to fall for something like this.”

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Here are a list of ways the agency recommends as measures to protect yourself:

Fraudsters may spoof the information of government and health care organizations. Find the latest information at Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization.

Contact your insurance provider to answer any health insurance questions.

Beware of:

Unsolicited medical advisory emails with links or attachments.

High-priced or low-quality products.

Miracle cures.

Herbal remedies.

Questionable offers, such as vaccinations and faster tests etc.

Unauthorized or fraudulent charities requesting money for victims or research. Don’t be pressured into making a donation.