Consumer Protection is warning Western Australians to obtain their health information and advice about COVID-19 from official and reliable sources, and not be fooled by misinformation circulating via social media.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Penny Lipscombe (pictured) said a variety of fake COVID-19 cures were being promoted online including gargling with salt water, drinking extraordinary amounts of water or certain juices, and ‘vibrational healing’.
“This advice is undermining efforts by authorities to properly educate the community,” Ms Lipscombe said.
“The promoters of these miracle cures and fake prevention tips are exploiting people’s fears and, in some cases, seeking to profit from them.”
She urged people to ignore misinformation on social media.
“Instead, only rely on the information that is being provided by Government health officials or well-known and established health and medical professionals,” Ms Lipscombe said.
“Consumers can best protect their health by relying on known facts not falsehoods or conspiracy theories designed to prey upon fear and anxieties.”
She said scammers were also taking advantage of the pandemic with some people receiving text messages impersonating the Government with advice on testing for COVID-19.
“These messages try to trick people into installing software that steals banking details,” Ms Lipscombe said.
She said there had also been reports of people receiving unsolicited calls from scammers claiming to be from the Australian Taxation Office.
She said scammers were opportunistic and would attempt to capitalise on fear in the community created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
