Attorney General: Beware of Ebola scams

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a consumer alert on Tuesday warning New Yorkers about Ebola-related schemes.

Schneiderman said companies have been trying to sell “bogus Ebola preparedness kits” that claim to cure the virus, for which there is not an FDA-approved drug. Fundraising schemes are common as public fears rise, according to the attorney general’s office.

New Yorkers should beware of fundraising solicitations and offers of goods and services related to Ebola,” Schneiderman said in a media release. “Scammers are shamefully exploiting this moment of heightened concern about public health to defraud good people. These frauds detract from the positive work of the brave medical professionals fighting this disease and the charitable spirit of New Yorkers looking to help out.”

The attorney general’s office recommends only donating to well-established charities, using caution when opening unsolicited email and reporting potential scams to the AG’s chairites bureau at charities.bureau@ag.ny.gov or (212) 416-8402.

The Better Business Bureau has also warned of Ebola scams, including a fundraising site set up for a Dallas nurse that was not authorized by her family. The site has since been pulled down.