Amongst the various unexpected consequences of the pandemic, the last 16 months have ushered in an increased wave and new level of sophistication of fraud schemes, as well as adaptions to the traditional modus operandi of perpetrators, including the expanded use of technology and digital means as a favored medium during the period of social distancing and quarantine.

As of June 3, the FTC had logged nearly 536,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments, more than 71% of them involving fraud or identity theft, with an estimated cost of more than $464 million in losses. In 2020, the number of fraud, identity theft, and other related reports to the FTC increased more than 45% from approximately 3.12 million to 4.72 million, and reported losses from fraud grew from $1.8 billion in 2019 to more than $3.3 billion in 2020.

In addition to the common and traditional fraud schemes, COVID-19 has triggered twists and modifications, such as deceptive claims by marketers for COVID-19 related products and services claiming to address demand for scarce goods, peddling treatments and cures, offering to alleviate financial distress from the pandemic, as well as efforts to "help" recipients expedite the receipt or maximize the use of COVID-19 relief funds. Simultaneously, the period ushered in a new wave of more sophisticated and targeted scams, through the use of digital technology, the Internet and cell phones, with a corresponding increase in both the volume and level of sophistication of such efforts.